Starsinger
by Hawk Sister
Summary: Ok, it's done with a bang. Please review.
1. Calsa

Winddancer: Hawk-sister does not own Mercedes Lackey characters, only some of the books. So if you see one of her peoples, don't flame her. But Calsa, Kaya, and Tor are her's. Don't steal, or even borrow them. This is her first fanfic, so if she make a mistake, please correct her. She never listens to me.

Shadowwalker: Just for all you who don't read M.L. words written between colons are mindspeech. Words in italics are thoughts, words in quotation marks are speech. Got it? Good.

***

The dark haired child stood at the entrance to the marketplace. In the years following the magestorms, the Empire had grown strong again, or at least the capital had. That was all that really affected Calsa. Even the richest places have their poor, but at least the poor can get by on the leavings of the richest.

_Next time_, Cal reflected, I come later in the day. _There are usually shopkeepers to get some food from by keeping thieves from their stalls, or maybe I could help a group for a share._ Even though her skills were equal to the average thief, the seven year old had been on her own for as long as she could remember. Her black hair and silvery eyes were too remarkable for any thieves' gang to accept her, and no mage school would take a _girl_.

As she walked back to the inn where she knew she could do _something_, she sensed someone behind her. Cal froze, then prepared to spin and run to their left. No one ever anticipated that. _Though why anyone would try to rob me …_

But when she turned around, she knew that the man behind her was anything but. He was much more ordinary than her, she thought with a hint of envy. Dark brown eyes and hair, he could have been the sibling of any number of people. _And as such he'll blend in, not like me._

He had his hands open and at his sides. 'Peace,' said the accented voice. Calsa glared at him suspiciously. 'I just need someone to show me to a lodging place that won't rob me blind. My work will be keeping me here longer than expected, and most places charge ridiculously high prices by the week.'

She smiled. Bringing customers to Ililia was one of the best ways of making a bite to eat, and if they were long term customers, she could probably count on food for a week. 'Certainly, sir,' she said carefully. It wouldn't do to insult someone in a position to do her good. 'Would you follow me?'

***

Herald-Mage Tor was very tired. So tired in fact, that he had resulted to asking one of the street rats about shelter. _:Toralith!: _commented Kaya, his Companion. _:That's extremely impolite to think about the only person here who could get you decent lodging at an amazingly cheap price.:_

_:You've been eavesdropping again, horse. And it wasn't impolite. It was _true_.:_

_:Still… and about a girl:_ Tor sighed. Kaya was fussy over the silliest things, considering the comments she routinely made about anyone who did anything stupid. In short, everyone save the Weaponsmasters, whom she idolized.

The girl, he wasn't about to ask Kaya how she could tell _that, _ was leading them through the areas of the Empire's capital that he had tried to avoid. Before he could ask Kaya if he had led them into an ambush, the kid led them off into an alleyway. At the end was a well light building. He hitched Kaya to one of the posts, certain that if he didn't, he might not see her again, and walked into the building. 

A stout old lady sat behind the desk. Fine wired glasses perched on her nose, and her grayed hair was pinned back into a severe bun. She glanced up sharply as he entered. 

'Who brought you,' she barked at Tor, shocking him so much that he nearly jumped into the wall.

'I did, Ililia,' the kid said. He relaxed as the woman grinned at the girl.

'Scamp,' she said affectionately. 'Here I was thinking you had finally found yourself another place to stay. You,' she directed at Tor, 'will have the last room down the hall on the third level. Five silver a moon, comes with the use of the bathing room. If you can't agree to that, scat. I'm not going any lower.'

Tor  nodded quickly. That was, from the looks of the entrance, the best deal he'd get if he searched for the next two moons, and they had a bathing room. 'Lady?' he asked cautiously. 'Do you have lodging for beasts here? One mare, she's very sweet tempered.'

Ililia stared at him a moment, as if contemplating. 'Another silver for the stables.' He nodded, then exited to go strip Kaya of her gear.

_:I told you this was a good deal.:_ Kaya mindspoke smugly as he rubbed her down. _:And they have fine oats here, too. Go find the girl.:_ Tor pretended to consider for a minute, then agreed. _After all, I could use someone to help me bring up the luggage_.

It was a _long_ way up the stairs for Tor, who had been riding all day, but he managed. As he regarded the rooms, he decided that he would have to shield it. It was too risky to stay unshielded in this pit of mages. To make sure he knew just _what_ he would have to cover, he explored carefully, coming up with two bedrooms, one privy of the flushing kind, a storeroom and a main room that served as kitchen, dining room and living room.

The shields only took a minute, he had been doing them since before he was Chosen. But he let his own personal shields down an instant to do it, and by letting them do so, he noticed something odd. A faint light to his Magesight stood next to him, in the form of … the kid.

'Ah, kid?' he asked cautiously. No point in scaring her. 

'Calsa,' she returned proudly.

'Are you aware of the fact that you have Magegift?' Even Kaya never would have anticipated her reaction to this.

***

'Are you aware that you have Magegift?' the idiot asked. 

'How could I not,' she demanded. 'All the thieves saying that they would have taken me if I wasn't so odd looking, the mages always staring when they first see me, as if they can't believe a _girl_,' bitter emphasis on that last word, 'could possibly have Magegift.'

'Well then,' the fool asked, 'I could teach you. I'm a mage.' Calsa's estimation of the man rose a few notches.

'Yes, oh yes. But what's your name?'

'Toralith. But please, only call me Tor. People call me Toralith when they're annoyed at me.

'Anyways,' he continued, 'could you please let down your shields. Somehow, you seemed to have picked up how to do that.' Calsa nodded. The wall she used to keep the voices of others out slid down.

'Gods, Kaya, I'm going to _kill_ you for not warning me about this.' She looked at Tor in alarm. His hands were over his eyes, and he moaned very softly. 'What is it?' she asked curiously.

_:Can you here this?:_ said a voice like Tor's, except inside her head.

_:Yes, what is it?:_

: Well, it appears that along with Magegift, you have Mindspeech, Farsight, Fetching, minor Empathy and Foresight. Nice record.:

:Huh?:

:The most gifts in one person that I've seen before you is three. And they were all minor. None of your Gifts go under average strength, all but Empathy and Foresight are much over:

:Oh. Who's Kaya.:

_:She's my Companion. That's what made me a Herald-Mage. She'll help teaching too.:_ Calsa noted some faint swearing coming from Tor. 

'Language, language,' she chided the Herald

***

Winddancer: So what do you think? I like it. ^_^

Shadowwalker: R&R so that Hawk-sister doesn't think no ones reading it and puts me into odd situations. And no non-constructive flames, or Winddancer will haunt your fics.


	2. Sundered

First, thanks to everyone who took the time to read this. I really appreciate it. And since you all wanted more, I'm hurrying. Probably one today and maybe one tomorrow, after that, who knows. But the first 3-4 will be kind of spaced out along the timeline.

To Fireblade K'Chorna: Good eyes. You're obviously a fan of the great lady. Maybe more of you will notice similar behavior later.

Winddancer: this chapter's four years after the first, so don't get confused if Calsa starts acting older, cause she _is._ And if anyone's seen Shadowwalker, he appears to have disappeared… *looks under couch.*

Dreams are words between  (---)

Oh well. On with the fic.

***

Calsa had surprised Tor as a student. She actually listened, and, given her age, that was no mean task. 

Kaya's sardonic mindvoice sounded in his mind. _:You mean, she pays more attention than you did at half again her age. Then again, _she_ knows that her life might depend on her Gifts.:_

Tor winced. _:You were probably twice as bad as me, you hedonist. I'm surprised you're a Companion, you could have made a very nice noble. At the second it looks like you're losing control, you start mocking people. Very highborn:_

:NOT nice!:

_:You're right. I was just very rude to those nobles.: _He smiled to hear Kaya sputtering in indignation.

The girl had taken very well to the lessons. He was sure she would make Adept. The problem was, he was only fit to teach up to Master. And if she had to get lessoning from a source other than him…

There were really only two options for that. He could take her back to Valdemar once his shift here was done, or she would have to go to the Mages of the Empire. _If only there was a way to hide her in plain sight. Like …_ But he drew a blank there. How he could hide such a gods-be-damned remarkable in plain sight was beyond him. Mages would look for magic around a person, then break the spell.

He left the question for later and drifted off to sleep.

***

Calsa stared out the window. The eleven year-old had known what a Herald was for a long time, and she was worried. _What will happen to me when Tor has to go back?_ But that was beyond her. _Maybe he can take me with him,_ she thought. Then the young mage slept.

_---'How many of them are there?' demanded the man at the front of the room. _

_'Two that we know of, milord Gaiv'le. One of them from Rethwallen, the other one of the Demonriders.'_

_Gaiv'le snorted. 'You sound like one of those Karsites, Vars. Don't do it again.' He turned to one of the others. 'Send your men out. Scour the streets for the spies, and kill them. Kill anyone who tries to hide them, too.'_

_Vars raised his hand cautiously. 'Sir? The Fair, it's being held this week. There will be so many unknown people there that we may kill unnecessarily. And we need the men then to supervise the Fair. Perhaps next week?'_

_Gaiv'le hesitated, then nodded. 'If we kill the wrong person, the message will get to the spies. Very well, Vars. We shall wait till next moonday. Meet here then. Dismissed.'_

_And then the scene changed. Calsa had returned home. The Fair had ended, and with it, most of her spare time. She turned into the building, only to see Ililia, throat cut, lolled on her desk. She screamed, then ran up the stairs, mind working frantically._

Tor, no, please, not Tor, let them have gone, let him have killed them, or gotten away, please, oh please._ But when that door was opened, there was no sign of bloodshed. Calsa calmed, then entered the workroom to put down her basket. Sprawled across the floor was her mentor and friend, eyes wide open, expression determined, sword still in hand. _

_And dead. _

_She screamed again.---_

'Calsa, Calsa, wake up. It's just a nightmare.' She opened her eyes to see Tor looking at her in concern. It was too much. She burst into tears. 'What was it. Calsa, please calm down. It was just a dream.'

'N-no, but-but yes but the d-dream it said…' she couldn't explain. _How can I make him understand that it was and wasn't a dream?_ Then she practically _blasted_ the dream into his mind.

'Oh.' That was it, just the one word. But Calsa knew that he understood now, and stopped crying. _Maybe he's talking with Kaya. _'Have you had this dream before?' Tor wanted to know. She shook her head.

'Kaya says that it's probably pretty accurate, you having Foresight and all. So we have a week.'

'You're going to Valdemar, right?' The Herald-Mage nodded. 'But, Calsa, I can't take you with me. I'm used to next to no sleep, you aren't. And Kaya will have to make her best time, too. I wish I could take you, dear heart, I really do. But I can't.'

Calsa accepted this. _Nothing will change his mind, and at least now he'll be out of danger._

'I think,' said Tor, 'that what we're going to have to do is find you a Mageschool.'

***

The first thing next day, Tor taught her to do something she had often see him do to her. The illusion spell that he placed on her when they went out, dulling her hair and eyes to brown, making her features blockier, harder.

'Won't they notice the spell on me?' Calsa had wanted to know. 

'No, and this is the best part about it. Everyone's expecting you to be a beginner, and beginners all have an aura of magic around them. And once you get older, the Mages will expect you to have some spells around you, so the slight aura of magic will actually seem like you're _conserving_ magic, not using it.'

The school was one of the better, a Fire Mountain school. The Headmaster stared at her. 

'Yours?' he asked Tor.

'He's my cousin,' Tor said. 'His folks died, so I took to raising him. When he showed signs of the gift, well, I guessed that Fire Mountain would be the best school for someone like him, Dramas.'

Dramas nodded. 'He has … fair potential with magic. I daresay he might make it to Master, if he concentrates. You have the entrance fee?' Tor passed him a smallish purse, but Calsa wasn't fooled. _Golds are always smaller than coppers._

'May we have a moment to say goodbye?' he requested. 'I have to be getting back to the farms, my wife's pregnant.'

Outside Dramas' room, the Herald-Mage hugged his Apprentice. _:Be good, alright? Oh, and your name's been changed to Collen. Remember to answer to it.:_

:I'll miss you.:

_:Of course you will. Maybe someday, when it's not so risky, or risky for you, you can come to Valdemar. I'll wait for you in Haven.:_ Tor reached into his pocket and pulled out a fine necklet. The pendant hanging from it was a thumb-sized white horse, who resembled… _:Kaya. And it's her hair too, isn't it.: she demanded._

:Something for you to remember us by, and safe passage into Valdemar when you come to visit. Don't try to 'speak me after I leave, they may have someone tracing.: 

And with that, half of Calsa's world left.

'Collen,' came a young voice, causing her to spin around. 'Hello. I'm Master Garth, your teacher. Will you follow me to the dormitories. _She went, panicking. If they put me with I guy, one of them is going to know my secret, and then I'll be gone, and they'll kill me, and then… _he pushed a door open.

'We've placed the students in separate rooms. We found that when student don't have another to distract them, they study much better.' Calsa relaxed. 'The dining room is down the hall, and I will take you to the Workrooms when you've unpacked. You have half a mark. I will come back then.'

Fortunately for Calsa's peace of mind, that's exactly how long it took to unpack.

The lessons were easy. She pretended to struggle for a bit, then almost carefully "figured" them out. Some stuff she still hadn't gotten the hang of, which was good for Garth. He was shocked when she had gotten centered so fast. _If he thinks that I'm faster then other students, maybe I'll get to stuff that Tor and I hadn't covered yet._

Supper was worse, though. Everyone watched her curiously, as if she was of interest. When this happened, Calsa clung tighter to her illusion. Then they stopped, and through the babble of the rest of the students, Calsa heard something that could help her.

'Poor Trif,' one of the boys was saying. 'He still hasn't gotten the hang of locking spells into objects, and Crestar won't go further till he does.' The rest of the people at his table laughed in pity of Trif, but it gave Calsa an idea.

_If I can lock the illusion into Kaya's necklace, then I won't have to worry about it. And I can concentrate more on my schoolwork._ For, much to her dismay, it became evident that she, as an Apprentice, would have to get a formal education.

_One day at a time_, she thought before sleeping. _One day at a time._ She fell asleep clutching the necklace, and dreamed of nothing.

***

_I think,_ thought Calsa, three years later, _that the first month was the worst. Then Garth accepted the speed with which I learn things, and the boys started ignoring me._

This time, however, she did have dreams, and odd ones at that.

***

Winddancer: So, what do you think? I like it.

Shadowwalker, sleepily: You like everything.

Winddancer: hey, where were you?

Shadowwalker: Sleeping. Again.

Winddancer: ││     -_- just for that, you can inspire the next part.

Shadowwalker: fine then, you don't get any brownies.

Winddancer: O.o

Shadowwalker: oh, and for everyone reading, remember R&R


	3. Dreams

Heyla, everyone. Chapter 3 is up now. My computer annoys me, though, it took me three tries before it would upload the last chapter properly on Fanfiction. Oh well.

Winddancer: This chapter has a bit of the great lady's stuff. Ok, quite bit,  but it wouldn't work without.

Shadowwalker: So don't flame, unless its constructive. And even then … meh.

Winddancer: And don't worry, its not going to be a Lavan type fic. Actually, I think someone's doing one, so if you like it, check it out.

Back to the fic.

***

I think the first months were the hardest, Calsa thought three years later. We finally got to the point I was at with Tor teaching, and concentrated more on the homework. Then Garth  relaxed because I was slowing my pace down, and the rest of the boys stopped treating me as an oddity. She sighed, quietly. I am lonely, though.

She curled up on her bed and went to sleep the way she had that first day. But this time, she did have a dream.

***

_---_This isn't the first time I've dreamed about this place,_ Calsa noticed. She was in a large estate. The fields had horses that any Emperor would be proud to own, the house was not so much large as confusing. Calsa knew from experience that it was easy to get lost here._

_The odd things about the dreams, though, was that she was never in control. She thought the way she normally would and all, but it was, she had thought the first time, as though she was in another's body._

_The person turned a corner. On the wall directly before them (him?) was a mirror. He quickly averted his face, but not quickly enough for Calsa not to get an idea of her 'host.' It could have been her, except as a boy. His hair was longer than her's, but the same deep black. His eyes were also silvery, and she got the impression that they were what he wanted to avoid looking at. _

They ended up in a weaponry, and for the first time, Calsa felt that the boy was happy. She wondered why. In the other dreams, she had gotten a feeling of despair when they ended up here. 'Lisa,' he smiled. 'You could come.'

_The girl, tallish, brown haired, brown eyed, and with a beak of a nose, smiled back. 'Well of course, Van. Did you think I wouldn't come. This idea of yours, not using Jervis' method, will probably work better. And if you're going to show it to that lump, you had better have worked all the kinks out of it.'_

_He bowed to his cousin's logic, and then went to work. _

_From what Calsa could work out, this style of swordplay depended on Van staying away from the other as much as possible. It was almost like a dance, rather then the mindless thrashing she had seen through Van's eyes._

I'm glad,_ she thought to herself, _that he finally found something to suit him. Well, something else. That thing with instruments, that was driving his father crazy, even if he is good at it.__

_Smiling, she went on to other dreams, leaving Van and Lisa to 'work the kinks out of it.'---_
    
    ***

A calm sort of resolution fell over Calsa the next day. She drifted through breakfast, but then had an energy burst in class. Fortunately, it jolted her brain into super mode, enabling her to finish all of her class work for the first time. _Good. Now I only have the homework to do, and not all the class work I didn't finish on top of that._

She noticed Garth hesitating around her during her lessons, but ignored it. She was determined to get out of this damnable Apprenticehood as soon as possible, preferably before summer started. Then she could go and visit Tor.

'Collen?' he requested after a bit. 'You've completed illusions, so why are you building one?' _Oh-oh_. Calsa turned to see what she had done. It was Van, down to the last detail. Even the half-sad expression was right.

'You always said, sir, that not practicing was the worst thing to do. I figured that since I had already completed the assigned work, I could practice.'

'Hm. Very well, you may practice. But may I ask, who is that? He has the most fascinating eyes.' Calsa didn't even flinch.

'Oh, just someone I saw on the streets with my cousin. I liked the eyes too.'

***

The dreams followed that pattern for a couple weeks, Van was generally with his cousin Lisa. She was also there to notice how he'd avoid his brother's and cousins, and saw how his mother's silvery eyes smiled upon him, while his father's brown ones mostly avoided him. And saw the play on the weaponry field with the real weaponsmaster.

_---Van was going to the weaponry field. Calsa recognized the route by now. But something was wrong, he was scared, terrified in fact. Feeling slightly guilty, she regarded his thoughts. _

Oh. So it's the moment of truth. Will the hack-and-bash method triumph over the dancing method?_ She pitied Van_. Well, at least its only his cousin Radeval. Jervis would kill him if he found out what he was doing._ Calsa did _not_ think highly of the weaponsmaster. To be honest, she thought that Lisa would do a better job._

_The effectiveness of Van's dance surprised even Cal, who had been watching this for probably as long as Van had been practicing. So the shock to his cousin must have been that much worse. So much worse, in fact, that Van scored him._

_'What the bloody hell do you think ye're doing,' asked a grating voice. Van and Cal's hearts sank as one. 'Cheatin' on a half-grown lad. I'm ashamed of you, Vanyel.'_

_'He wasn't cheating,' said Radeval. 'He was actually really good. Might have even scored a kill if he'd put his weight behind it.'_

_But the weaponsmaster wasn't listening to reason. He insisted on 'testing' Van's method. And when Van went down, he'd pull him back up again. _Oh gods please let me wake up. I don't think I can take much more of this.

_For in this state, Cal felt everything that Van did, and Van burned with pain. She wanted to scream in anguish, but didn't. Not that she could have, but it would have been a release. When he went down for the fifth time, she heard a sickening _**crack**_, and the searing pain that shot up her left arm told her what had happened._

_And still, the weaponsmaster tried to pull Vanyel up. Then Calsa heard a god-blessed voice. 'What in Haven's name is going on here?' Lisa demanded._

_'Ah, it's nothing,' said Jervis carefully. He might dislike Vanyel, but he was careful around Lisa. She had power. 'We can just strap his arm to a board and continue. It's only his shield arm.'_

_'He is going straight to his room,' Lisa informed him, 'and the only people who'll be going in there are me, the Healer, and his parents. In that order.'---_

***

When she awoke, her arm still ached. What a _sadist,_ she thought. Cal had started feeling very protective of the dream-boy, and the idea of anyone trying to hurt him made her rage. 

Thankfully for the rest of the school, the first thing that Tor had taught her was shielding. She was certain that the rest of the school had no wish to have an Empath blast rage through the halls.

She couldn't wait for tonight. She needed to know what had happened to Van.

***

Winddancer: I didn't like that part much. 

Shadowwalker: Me neither. Now I need some cookies. *looks around hopefully, then sighs.*

Winddancer: If anyone knows the name of the capital of the empire? Well, we can't find it. So put it in with your review if you know it. 

Shadowwalker: Maybe more later … if you R&R. ^_-


	4. Parting

Hello everyone! I'm spoiling you, really. Four updates in as many days. This one took a little longer, but it's longer then most of the other chapters.

Winddancer: And guys, when you figure out what's going on, e-mail the answer to Hawk-Sister, so that people who like reading reviews don't get it spoiled for them. Her e-mail's on her site, which you can go to by clicking her name. ^_^ Easy?

Shadowwalker: Oh, and Darkfyre? Calsa doesn't get blown up. Hawk-Sister's become way to attached to her to do that. But why she's been giggling lately…

Winddancer: Two new 'codes' that you need to know for this chapter. '~' Before and after a section mean it's one of Van's dreams, '(' before and ')' after a section means they're his thoughts. 'k?

To the fic!

***

I am … alone.

Over the past few days, days in which Calsa couldn't bear to have the dreams, she had felt more alone then she ever had, even when Tor had left. Her effort in any of her classes was drained, her attention lax, all of her soul focused on the problem of Van. Even Garth had had to rebuke her sharply to get her attention. Then she would start guiltily, then finish whatever task was assigned to her.

Even when she accidentally slipped into one of the dreams, they were muddled and confused, meaning that Van was too. Lisa had said something about a Healer for him, which meant that he was probably on a painkiller. 

His mother might come in and held half-heard hysterics, his father did come in and ranted about manliness, his brothers would come in and try to start talking about it, when his arm had broken, how cool it had looker… Cal pitied Van more than she did herself. 

Sometimes I think that not knowing your parents might be for the better.

Once he did fully awaken, she almost never left the dreams. This had the effect of causing her to walk around with a slightly dazed, dreamy air. She didn't really care if she looked dumb, she had become protective of her dream-friend. The only time that she really concentrated was with her magic.

I have to get to Journeyman soon. Then I can go find Tor, and Tor can find out what these dreams mean.

But the loneliness still cut like a knife. _I almost wish that I hadn't isolated myself from them that much. At least they'd acknowledge me._ Her answer came in a dream's dream.

***

--- _'I don't care what you say, that boy is going to Haven. Maybe his aunt can make something of him, though I doubt even Heraldic magic could do any good.' _

_That would be Withen, Vanyel's father. Van's mother was holding hysterics, one of her favorite pastimes. And Van was hiding in a small room off the library. He'd been hiding for quite a while now, avoiding Withen, his mother, his brothers and especially Jervis. _

_The only person he had ever cared for, Lisa, was gone, fostered to another Home. (_They couldn't even wait for me to get better before they sent her away,)_ he thought angrily. This was one of his favorite places, and it was even heated. Before now, he had practiced music in here, now it was a sanctuary._

_But this was different. He wasn't supposed to have heard this, and the idea of leaving the only place he had ever known cut almost as badly as the knowledge that he would never be able to play as well again. The break in his arm had done something to the nerves, and it had been a long time before he could even have played the simplest ballad that required his left hand._

_He ran into his room, then thought out a plan of action. Lisa would have been proud of him for that. _(If they make an announcement, it'll be at supper. And knowing for certain that I'm leaving can't be as bad a worrying,)_ he reasoned. They went down for supper. _

_***_

_As usual, the dining hall was crowded, and only half of the Manor's population was in it. It wasn't a small room either. The idea of all of the members together in one place scared Cal. On a happier note, no one looked at Van in an unusual way, in fact, most people just continued with their habit of looking straight through him, if he had happened to walk in front of them. _

_They sat down at the low table, Cal observing everything from Van's point of view. It wasn't very good, as he was staring at his plate. But she could see some things from the corners of his eyes, so she took advantage of that. First she took into account the high table_

His mother's calm again, which might be a good sign. Or maybe it just means she's resigned to the fact that Withen's going to make Vanyel leave. That damned monkey of a priest keeps leering at Van, that's not a good sign. Withen is completely inscrutable, which could mean any damned thing, and I don't think that I could use Empathy through Van to find out what he's feeling. 

None of the brothers appear to know anything. Not that that's out of the norm. _But even Calsa's derision for Van's brothers and cousins couldn't over-ride the sinking feeling in her stomach._

_Supper was tasting worse and worse to her, and probably to Van too, but they stayed to hear the news. And Treesa was calm for the second reason; Withen made the announcement just before dessert. He would leave the next day. At this, the Lady to burst into tears and ran from the room, followed by the rest of her ladies-in-waiting. _

_Withen filled in the awkward silence with a warm comment about last year's apples, which caused everyone to start babbling again, mostly about the quality of the apples. Almost unnoticed, the two slipped from the room._

_Van stumbled into his room. He was terrified of leaving, terrified of staying. Strangers there, people who knew him here_. (What can I do,)_ he thought, over and over. _(What can I do.) _Cal shared his despair, she didn't want to be alone in two places. He eventually fell asleep, exhausted. And for the first time ever, she shared his dreams._

***

~ He was surrounded by ice. It was a large snow plain, with no life and no features, just him. Standing alone in the plains, the icy coldness numbing him, the answer to his problems hit him. And it was like an answer from the gods themselves. 

'If no one can touch me,' Van said, 'No one can hurt me. If I don't care what others say, their opinions can't hurt me.' He whispered it again, like a chant.

'If I can't be touched, I can't be hurt. If I don't care, then I can't be hurt. If I can't be touched, I can't be hurt. If I don't care, then I can't be hurt. If I can't be touched, I can't be hurt. If I don't care –' Then solid, dreamless sleep overtook him.~---

***

'If no one can touch me,' Calsa repeated upon awakening, 'no one can hurt me.' What was a blessing for Van was doubly so for her. She was already alone, he was preparing to be alone. With this, though, she just wouldn't _care_ anymore. And that could be a blade as sharp as ice.

So Cal became untouchable. Not the way she had been before, when she just tried to stay small and ignored. She carried herself proudly, ignoring the others as if they were below her notice, as if she were the Emperor and they were something lower than what she had once been. They reacted to that in an unexpected way, carrying themselves carefully around her. As before, the only place she didn't change was in magic lessons.

_Once I get away, I can drop this mask. Then I can find Tor, and see what he knows about these dreams. And once I know what these dreams mean, I'll do…something appropriate_. Cal didn't know just what she would do yet, but first she had to find out the meaning behind her dreams, Van's life.

***

Garth was relieved to see her back to her normal self. 'Good gods, Collen, for a minute I was afraid that we were going to have to put it off.'

Cal looked up in alarm. 'Put what off?'

'Your test, of course.' She stared blankly at him. 'To advance from Apprentice to Journeyman.'

'Oh. Truly?'
    
    'Of course, we'll begin now.' _Shouldn't I at least get a moment to prepare?_

The series of tests she had to perform were simple, easier than she had expected. The last was the hardest, though. She had never accessed a leyline before, but finally caught on to the trick. Locking it into a shield was actually fun.

Her master actually smiled. 'Well, then, Journeyman, time to start journeying. Well, at least, after supper.' They smiled and parted for the last time.

***

Supper was much better then usual. She sat at the high table and was proclaimed a Journeyman, then given the robes of the Fire Mountain order.

_--- _(What's wrong with me,)_ Vanyel thought. Calsa decided that she had missed something important. Then she noticed the fluttery feeling in the base of his stomach, and looked to see what it was that was affecting him. A golden haired boy was reading outside. _Is that it? Does he like boys_?_

(Why, oh why did I have to be like this. Why did I have to fall in love. And why with Tylendel, Savil's favorite.)Tylendel. Savil. Savil's Vanyel's aunt, Tylendel is Savil's … student? Probably. He has Mage-Gift, so he probably is.

_Other people might be horrified at the concept of guys liking other guys. _Calsa was just amused. I wonder if his dad thought that that might happen. Oh-oh. If Withen finds out about this, Vanyel is so dead. And if Tylendel likes him back and they get together and Withen finds out … well, death might be a pleasant alternative_.---_

She awakened smiling, then dressed to begin her wanderings. _To Valdemar, then Haven, then Tor._ Something occurred to her. _That's where Vanyel was. Maybe they would have something about him there._ With that in mind, she left the Empire's capital, heading west.

***

Winddancer: Wow, that was longer then usual. This is one of my favorites, though.

Shadowwalker: *wakes up from half daydream.* Did I miss something?

Winddancer: *in annoyance* Oh, yes you did. *to the readers* Remember, R&R. And we do anonymous reviews too, now. *to Shadowwalker, gleefully* Stormwing's coming over for a visit.

Shadowwalker: *Blanches* St-stormwing?

Winddancer: yup! ^_^


	5. Shadows

Heyla, everyone! Today we have a guest. This is Stormwing, a Dragonchild. *Stormwing comes up and takes a bow.* If any of you have read some of Darkfyre's the Royal Dragon fics, they're the same, or as much as I have the space to explain. For the rest of you, she's half dragon, half human/elvish. She can take pretty much any form that mixes those features, straight human, or straight dragon. And she has an amazing array of Gifts.  
  
Winddancer: *hugs Stormwing.* Glad you made it, Storm. I was wondering where you had gotten to. *Stormwing drags Winddancer to a point in which they can't be heard, then tells her something.*  
  
Shadowwalker: I'm awake, I'm awake - oh great. She's back.  
  
Winddancer: Shadowwalker doesn't like Storm only cause she knows almost everything that we need to. And the fact that she threatens to tell everyone his truename when he acts up to often doesn't help.  
  
Stormwing: Well, one of the reasons that I'm here now is to take a survey. Snowfire the Kitsune says they can't wait till Van and Calsa meet. How many of you want to see that happen? Even though, unfortunately, it's a timeline impossibility, Hawk can pull it off. So if you want to see it, just say so in your review.  
  
And frankly, if you don't say you want/don't want to see it happen in your review, I don't give a damn. Just don't expect what you want to happen to show up.  
  
Oh, and I'm one of Hawk-Sister's people too, meaning you don't steal me if you want to keep writing. *Shadowwalker snorts.* She obviously doesn't own Velgarth, or any Lackey characters, or you'd have to buy the book to read this.  
  
*Hawk rolls eyes.* Don't I wish. Well, beloved readers, time for more fic! ^_^  
  
***  
  
The tawny red-brown robes swished slightly as their wearer walked the dusty roads. Thankfully, they never caught on bushes; there were a lot of those along the paths. Journeyman Calsa of the Fire Mountain School was enjoying herself. It was her third day out, and she didn't have a care in the world.  
  
Except for one thing. The way that Vanyel had isolated himself scared her badly. Badly enough that she dropped her icy mask, and her illusion spell. She left it on her eyes, though, not wanting to scare people with her eye colour. And she continued west.  
  
One night, as she slid into bed, she felt something odd, in the part that had her Van-dreams. But when she tried to focus on it, all she got was an impression of music. *This is weird. I guess I'll have to sleep to find out . . .*  
  
---(It's not fair,) he thought plaintively. (I struggle all my life for the music, and they get it thrown in their laps. I wish I was a Bard, then I wouldn't have to worry about going home.) He returned to the suite that he shared with Savil's students, only to see Tylendel come up to greet him.  
  
'Van?' the older boy asked softly. 'Are you alright.' And for one heart wrenching moment, Cal nearly convinced Van to tell the truth, that hearing the music hurt him more than anything else, because he could never have it. To let down his shields, and make a friend.  
  
But then, at the vital moment, the other took a step towards Van. Her power to convince froze, and she would not, could not coerce him. The shields came back up, and Van smiled and said something trivial, about it being crowded in the Hall.  
  
She cursed him silently as he disappeared into his room.  
  
~The ice dream again. But this time, the plain was no longer featureless. Small hills, then chunks of ice welled up in front of Vanyel. He walked around them, then over them. In the end, he was surrounded by ice, with no way to get out.  
  
He knew, unconsciously, what this was doing to him. But the ice never hurt . . . or so he thought. He looked down at his hand, his hand that he had cut trying to get out, and he saw it numb, then freeze, gaining an icy sheen. And it started to spread.  
  
The dream changed. Van stood in the fork of a passageway, blocking an army Lightning flickered overhead, and blood oozed down his leg. And then four mages came to the front. (I'm going to DIE, and I'm all alone, and the pain, it hurts-)  
  
'Vanyel.'  
  
(Why me? What did I do?)  
  
'Vanyel!'  
  
(I'm so alone and it hurts worse than the ice, knowing that I'm going to die-)  
  
'Vanyel!'~  
  
Hands as hot at coals shook his shoulders, Calsa waited for Van's eyes to focus long enough to see who was there. *'Lendel, eh? Well, at least one of them has some sense.*  
  
'Vanyel, it's OK. I won't hurt you, I swear it.' With those simple words, all of Vanyel's shields came down and with it, all the tears of loneliness and bitterness. The older boy just held him till all the tears were cried out.  
  
Somehow, Calsa didn't know how, she knew that the best thing for Van would be for her to leave this to the Trainee. The gods-damned stupid boy had the sheer nerve to try to brush of 'Lendel's attempts to find out what was wrong, but finally gave in.  
  
And when the opportunity came, Van finally admitted the last part of why the dreams affected him so badly. The part about the Trainee.  
  
*If I don't leave soon,* Cal realized, *I'm going to see, or at least feel, something I don't really want to take place in.*---  
  
So she woke herself up. It was daybreak, and she continued in a wandering fashion westwards.  
  
***  
  
From what she gathered later, the two had become lovers. Savil had granted her protection upon the pair, and they did everything possible to keep the fact secret. Once it became public, after all, it would go to Forst Reach. And when it got there, Withen would come to take his son back.  
  
After two months over Cal's wanderings, the unthinkable happened. 'Lendel died, and Van was Chosen by a Companion named Yfandes. And Cal had realized one thing that many hadn't. The pair was lifebonded.  
  
***  
  
---'I did not bloody well run my best horse to foundering just to get a bloody "come back later," Savil.' Calsa recognized that voice, Withen's voice. For the first time since she had had the dreams, she knew that she could lend Van strength, and give his anguish words.  
  
So when Withen came out to see Van, her strength burned in his veins. Her anger fueled his own. And when Withen made that one fatal verbal misstep, they snatched the opportunity. His Mage-Gift pinned down his father, and Van raged, how Withen had never believed him about Jervis, how he had always found his son strange and perverted. About how 'Lendel was the only person who had been able to show him affection.  
  
And when Withen, awed by his son's emotions, asked if an apology would help, the sixteen year-old turned his back and buried his face in his Companion's silky coat, and he muttered, 'Maybe someday, father. But for now, leave me ALONE. I just lost the one person who cared for ME, not what I stood for, or what I could be, but me. And he's dead and gone, and you just try to rant on about how I wasn't manly enough for you.' ---  
  
***  
  
*Oh gods,* thought Cal upon awakening. *Oh dear gods.* She had come to love the other boy as a brother, and his death, not to mention his lifebonded's anguish, hurt her sorely. *I have to get to Valdemar. If I can help Vanyel, I will.*  
  
But the dreams didn't come for a long time after that. So long, in fact, that Cal wondered if her dream-friend had died, emptied by the loss of his lifebonded. When they came back, she was so relieved that she didn't mind the way the dreams hopped around.  
  
And the dreams were as scattered as leaves in fall, never staying in one place for long. Most of them seemed to be about some sort of battles.  
  
By the time that the snow was melting, Cal had reached the Empiric/Hardonian border, and Van had reached a different kind of border.  
  
There was a boy, young man more like, a Bardic student by the name of Stephan. And it bothered Van that no matter how devoted he remained to 'Lendel's memory, Stephan still attracted him. Cal saw it a different way. *It'd be good for Van to make a friend, and, somehow, I think that it would be more of an insult to 'Lendel's memory if Van doesn't accept what he's feeling to Steph. This is stupid. Why am I worrying about it.*  
  
And stupid it was. If Cal hadn't been so worked up about Van, she may have never had the - interesting - experience of her first, non-teacher conjured mage-trap.  
  
***  
  
*Huh?* It was an ordinary road, with no other people on it, so Calsa hadn't been expecting an invisible wall to suddenly pop up in front of her. *Hm. Now what could this be.* A thin tendril of magic, nothing more than a hedgewizard might use, traced the borders of the trap.  
  
*Damn. Egg-shaped, completely smooth, no magic gets through. Kethryveris of White Winds made this famous. And there are what, two ways to get out. Blast myself out and risk frying to a crisp, or wait for someone to unlock it from the outside. And that will take how long?*  
  
She decided to wait. After all, it wouldn't hurt her, and maybe someone could tell her where in Demonsbane's name she was.  
  
***  
  
Shadowwalker: So, that's where this chapter will end. And if the last part didn't make sense, it's not really Hawk's fault. Her high school does a barbaric test called the twelve minute run, and she hadn't really been practicing.  
  
Stormwing: So everyone know's what they're going to do now, right? Read, review, and say whether or not Van and Cal should meet.  
  
Winddancer*quietly*: When are you going to tell her?  
  
Stormwing: SHH! Later, ok?  
  
Winddancer *shrugs*: Sure.  
  
Shadowwalker *plaintively*: Even when I do pay attention they confuse me. 


	6. Choosing

Heyla, everyone! Mucho thanks for the reviews, I'm currently recovering from the 12 min run. So I'm dedicating this chapter to everyone else who's ever had to do it. I wish I didn't have to do it again in November. -_- Anyways.  
  
Winddancer: Fireblade, this is set after the Magestorms. (e.g., after Kethry and *much* after Van. It's a timeline impossibility, after all.) Oh, and we want a couple Shin'a'in proverbs, if Rissa wouldn't mind sharing a few. ^_^  
  
Shadowwalker: And since you left it to us to decide if (and how) Van and Cal meet, well, you might be surprised. Or not. Whichever, just keep reading. And reviewing. Always reviewing, even if you don't like. Why you wouldn't like it . *shrug* maybe you aren't a Lackey person.  
  
Hawk: *dreamily* Lackey .  
  
Stormwing: *grinning widely* Exile's Valor comes out on Wednesday, November 4, 2003. Finally, more Alberich, something we all need. To quote: The best thing for what makes you hurt is more of what made you hurt in the first place. With the exception of heartbreak. And death. Neither of them make the last one any better.  
  
Winddancer: More reviews are always good, but they don't hurt. Unless you flame. That burns.  
  
Anyways, the fic goes on.  
  
***  
  
The dark haired teen sat on the edge of the dusty road, the warm spring sun beating down on her, the dark brown cloak she always wore undone. The people in this area were oddly frightened of wizards, and the Journeyman preferred to leave it over her robes for the sake of the people who sheltered her. Wandering people seemed to be common, they attracted no fear on the roads.  
  
Speaking of traffic, no traffic had come by in over an hour, and Calsa was starting to get bored.  
  
*I would leave, but the only way I could get out would to be to blast myself out. And I'm sure there's some way to keep myself from frying, but I can't remember it.*  
  
The air was still and warm, and the curb upon which Cal was sitting was soft. She dozed off on the grassy patch, trying to remember the vital step.  
  
***  
  
---It was the ice-dream again, the one where Van stood alone, the sole barrier between Valdemar and a monstrous army of unbelievable proportions. The only problem was, it wasn't a dream this time. The blood trickled slowly down Vanyel's leg, but it wasn't as bad as in the dream, or at least, not as bad as the sixteen year-old Van had made it out to be.  
  
The mage-leader came to the front, his black eyes, hair and clothing the opposite of Van's white and silver. 'You are,' stated Leareth, 'Quite alone. But I can be forgiving. Just come to me and we can do awesome things together. Even bringing your beloved Tylendel would be a mere parlor trick to what we could do. Just come to me.'  
  
*Will he do it? He better damn well not, *no one* can bring back the dead, not even with two Vanyel level people working at it.* But despair swept over her as Calsa realized that not only wasn't there enough power for Van to call down a Final Strike powerful enough to kill the mage, the mage was being fed node-magic by other mages on the other side of the mountains.  
  
(He can't understand,) Van thought to Cal's surprise, (that I *did* get 'Lendel back. 'Lendel came back to me as Steph, and it would betray both of them to take his offer. And even I hadn't known that, it still would have betrayed 'Fandes, and Valdemar. I could never do that.)  
  
Angry hoof steps pounded up next to Van, Yfandes appeared neighing in defiance of the dark mage. :I knew what the price would be when I Chose you, Vanyel, and I Chose you all the same. You are my Chosen, and I wouldn't give back one moment, not one, for anything in the world.: Calsa was surprised to have heard 'Fandes' mindvoice. She had never before.  
  
:Truly?: Van asked his Companion.  
  
:Truly.:  
  
He rested his hand on her back, gathered all his power, the node-magic and the magic that 'Fandes offered him, smiled at the dark mage and said one soft word.  
  
'No.'  
  
Then oblivion took them over as he released the Final Strike.---  
  
***  
  
'Vanyel!' Cal screamed, waking herself up. 'Oh gods, Vanyel, how could you have done that.' She burst into tears; her traveling companion, her one constant, even though they had never known her, was dead, and *that* was as irrevocable as a Final Strike. Something so odd that she pushed it aside at first occurred to her.  
  
'It wasn't even a dream, was it?' Calsa asked softly. 'It was real, all of it.'  
  
She heard an odd sort of buzzing, and looked around in confusion for the source. When she realized that *she* was the source, or at least, it was her fault that she was picking it up, she put her shields back up, flushing in embarrassment. *I have to remember to leave those up. Kaya would be ashamed of me if she heard me coming a week away.*  
  
***  
  
Preparing a light lunch, Cal sat on the grassy bank she had used for a bed and munched on some dried fish on bread. Not appetizing, but very welcome if you've just cried your soul out. It calmed her, the more mundane patterns of everyday life soothing the grief.  
  
Footsteps on the road startled her, and she debated using Mindspeech to eavesdrop. *I'm sure Tor would forgive me, after all, this isn't your everyday situation. Oh damn, I forgot. That egg-thing will just bounce my Mindprobe back in my face.*  
  
Cal considered swearing for a moment, then changed her mind. She had the oddest feeling that she would have more cause to later. *For once in my life I hope I'm wrong. Wait, maybe it would be more correct to say for once in the past week I hope I'm wrong.*  
  
The group was a large, milling pack, all revolving on a few center people. One was probably the leader, the other the mage who had set the trap. She decided to play dumb, not revealing any more power then a weak hedge wizard.  
  
Their voices were rough, harsh. The people they belonged to were stocky men, brown haired, brown eyed country folk, reminding Calsa of her slender, dark haired, pale eyed appearance. *Damn.* And they spoke some foreign language, hard inflections and very few soft sounds that she could make no sense of.  
  
The one Cal had taken to be the mage smiled at her, and said something in a falsely kind and cheerful tone. Not that it mattered, she couldn't tell what he was saying, but it was so fake that she nearly choked.  
  
Two things happened so quickly that Cal didn't have the time to react. The trap came down, shocking her after all her prying, and someone seized her from behind. *The best attack,* Cal thought grimly, *is the one no one sees coming. That was the best attack.*  
  
But the mage, Master level, Calsa could see now, had made the stupidest mistake possible. He had released her bindings, and she was in no mood to be kind.  
  
She twisted, fighting the pressure of the man on her back, trying to force her to the ground. She bucked the man off her back, and at the same time, blessed the boys of Fire Mountain, who had gotten into so many fights that it was impossible for even the densest not to pick up *some* tricks. He backed off glaring warily.  
  
The mage got a fireball in his face, and Cal flung up her shields. *Shields.* The cage came back. *Ah, hells. Now I'm in for it.*  
  
The gesture that the man made was unmistakably crude, and the one she had thrown said something in a tone that was . unpleasantly suggestive. She didn't have to be an expert to tell that he was peeved. *So, time for a surprise.*  
  
Cal reached down under her for the nearest leyline. It did not fight her control, and, leaving her shields up, she let it feed into the space between the cage and her shield. The Journeyman sought another line, and then another. Then, channeling all the magic she could into that space, the magic caused it to explode.  
  
The bandits whipped back in fear, the mage stepped forwards threateningly. She directed a levinbolt in his direction, barely missing his ear. He stepped back, but the others approached, brandishing weapons. And as they harried her, the mage sent bolts of power that narrowly missed her.  
  
Cal fought like a mountain cat, her walking staff whipping into the faces and groins of her attackers, keeping them a little away. The mage leered at her and sent a particularly nasty little bolt at her.  
  
*Demonsbane. I'm the victim and the only one, and that damned cockeyed little bastard just stands there and waves his hands. Why don't I ever get a break like that?* Cal wasn't really sure how long she could both evade the bolts and the weapons, so she dropped her shields to try to pick up the group's next move.  
  
But a large axe falling inches from her face made her forget that plan. :HELP: she mindscreamed, not even aware that she did so. :DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN! NOT GOOD! I'M GONNA DIE! OH GODS I'M GOING TO DIE!:  
  
She was wrong for the first time that week.  
  
Something, she wasn't sure what, entered the far end of the throng, kicking and slashing it's way through the mass of people. The bandits dropped like flies under it's attack, and some space was cleared for it. The unknown made it's way towards her. :Shields up!: it barked.  
  
The mage flinched when he saw her defender, the group turned tail and ran, giving Calsa the opportunity to look at it.  
  
The white coat was flecked with blood, the proud head held defiantly. There was no mistaking who - or what - this snowy apparition was. The Companion's deep blue eyes stared into her own, and she heard her second sentence from *her* Companion, her own Companion.  
  
:My name is Joshaylin, Calsa and I Choose you.: She wrapped her arms around the stallion's neck. :Thank you, Joshaylin.:  
  
:You know,: the Companion said after a moment. :You can just call me Josh. It's easier.:  
  
:Ok, Josh, call me Cal. And where in Shadowstalker's name are we?:  
  
:Karse-Hardon border, near the Empiric border.:  
  
:Well, how long will it take us to get to Haven, as I assume is your goal.:  
  
:Six, seven weeks. Depends on the traffic.:  
  
She felt her good humor coming back. :Well, in case you hadn't noticed, there's *no* traffic here.:  
  
The Companion snorted, and the two proceeded westwards, towards Valdemar, towards fate.  
  
***  
  
Calsa awoke a week later to feel eyes boring into her back. Her run-in with the bandits had taught her caution. :Josh?: she asked. :Are you awake?: No answer.  
  
Cal rolled over slowly, as if she were still asleep, eyes slits, trying to see her attacker. But what she saw caused her to widen them in surprise.  
  
Identical silver eyes regarded her cheerfully, the hair that framed the strong face was black, though streaked thickly with silver. The proud features were so similar that she couldn't help blurting out the name.  
  
'Vanyel?' she whispered softly.  
  
***  
  
Shadowwalker: As, for once, I am the only one here, I'll ask everyone, what did you think?  
  
Winddancer: Hawk! Come here for a minute. *Shadowwalker starts muttering in annoyance, Stormwing glares at him and he shuts up.*  
  
Stormwing: I guess I should've taken one from the other nest.  
  
Hawk: Huh?  
  
Stormwing: It was supposed to be a Christmas present, how about late Halloween treat? *thrusts something small and rocking into a confused Hawk's hands.*  
  
Hawk: *shrieks* A firelizard egg! Oh my god thanks! *does a happy dance.* and it's hatching! *everyone watches as egg cracks open, Shadowwalker looks bored.*  
  
Fire-lizard: meep! *Stares at Hawk*  
  
Hawk: *Stares at Fire-lizard.*  
  
Stormwing: They're busy now, more later. So review.  
  
Hawk: Pie and cake and brownies for everyone who puts in a review. Whatever you want. *Goes back to staring at fire-lizard.* 


	7. The last dream

Heyla everyone, it's me again. Thanks for the site, Fireblade.  
  
Hawk: Stormwing's named the fire-lizard Sunwing, and we've bonded pretty good, I think. Storm'll be leaving today, so everyone, say bye.  
  
Stormwing: I'll be back again later, maybe.  
  
And we continue...  
  
***  
  
'Vanyel?' Cal asked. It had been a week since Joshaylin had Chosen her, a week since that battle, a week since she had dreamt Van's death. It still shook her to think of it, but it was even queerer to see the one she had thought dead standing right in front of her.  
  
The silver eyed, dark haired man snorted. 'No kechara, I'm really one of the seven hundred other people who look just like you. Can't you tell?'  
  
'There's that many other people who look like me?' Cal wanted to know.  
  
She received a long sigh form Van. 'Obviously not.'  
  
She hesitated for a moment. 'Not that I'm not happy to see you, but, um, well ... didn't you ... die?' Cal winced. The words sounded so stupid just put like that.  
  
'Yes, I did,' he replied matter-of-factly. 'And then Steph joined me in Sorrows, much later, of course. We were guardians there for about seven hundred years, then we went down to the Dhorsha Plains to stop the Cataclysm from reoccurring. And then I was completely destroyed.'  
  
'How in the seven hells does one stop a Cataclysm?'  
  
'By replicating what happened the first time, blasting power in a small, contained area,' the Shadowstalker answered.  
  
'Ah. So why are you here?' Calsa glanced nervously over at Josh, but he was still soundly asleep.  
  
'You're like me, someone who will have to make a -' Vanyel hesitated slightly, as if not certain what he could or couldn't say. 'A choice,' he decided. 'And this choice that you make, will affect not only your own life, but change the course of the world. I died for my decision, as did the one before me. I don't think you will though. If you would, I don't think I would have been able to come say this.' He stared off into space as he said this.  
  
'The few of us who have ever met named themselves Starsingers, probably because some people use stars to determine the future, and Bards, or Singers, change ways of life. We all share the same eyes,' he added.  
  
'Your life will be ... interesting, but you won't know the choice till the decision is right upon you. And even then, the results won't be instant.  
  
'I came to tell you this because ... well, I've thought of you like a sib, and I couldn't just leave you there without a clue. I had Foresight dreams. You've seen my life. It was a ... warning of sorts.' Van looked at her again.  
  
'But how will I hide this from Josh? He'll think I'm crazy if he finds out that I think that you've been talking to me. If I do get to remember the dreams,' Cal wondered out loud.  
  
'The dreams are yours to keep, I have no need for them anymore. And as for how to keep Josh out, well, shield it out of his reach. He won't pry. Or at least, he shouldn't.'  
  
Cal raised one eyebrow but said nothing. 'I - I have to go now,' said Van, as if hearing some inner call. 'Sorry, kechara.' He reached out and hugged her close.  
  
'Wait!' she asked as he turned to leave.  
  
'Yes?'  
  
'Who was the Singer before you?'  
  
He smiled as he continued past the boundaries of her camp. 'If you ever meet a Shin'a'in or Hawk-Brother, they'll know the one you speak of, should you mention his name. And some of the older Heralds. The last Great Mage, the Mage of Silence, Urtho.'  
  
Cal smiled as she went back to sleep, knowing that the Herald-Mage rested well.  
  
***  
  
:You know what?: Cal asked Josh a few weeks later.  
  
:What?:  
  
:This gets kind of boring after a while. Are we there yet?:  
  
:We're in Valdemar now, Eastern border. Those birds that you noticed but never commented on were gryphons, they fly around bringing news. And trouble.:  
  
:So we're not there yet.:  
  
:No.:  
  
:Damn. So is there *anything* interesting around here?:  
  
:Um... I wouldn't know. I generally don't play tour guide. Big farm land here, we're to the north of the Holderkin though, so we aren't worried about their ah - ideas. Mainly about where women belong on the hierarchy scale. Must've been a nasty shock to them when Solaris became the Son of the Sun. And Allodia after her.:  
  
:I know about Solaris, but Allodia must not have come into office before Tor left for the Empire, cause he never mentioned her.: Cal paused, *hearing* another mindspoken conversation at the edge of her range. :There's other mindspeakers this close to us?:  
  
:If you're hearing them, Cal, it means you've left your shields down.:  
  
:They're up!:  
  
:Well then, don't try to detect others.: Josh paused for a moment, then the mindlink was overwhelmed with joy. :It's Sasha, my sister! And her Chosen, of course.:  
  
:Your sister's Chosen? Is she older or younger then you?:  
  
:Older, and wiser. Don't tell her that, though. She Chose a year ago, and she'll be proud of me. I found about the only person in the world who's Mage-Gift is stronger then her Chosen's, and she's my Chosen.: Josh sounded proud.  
  
:You want to sneak up on them?: Cal asked.  
  
:Sure!: The chiming hoof steps seemed to quiet, making almost no noise though they kept the same pace. Cal craned her neck for a view of Josh's sister and her Chosen. Their appearance nearly knocked her off of Josh's back.  
  
:Surprise!: said an unfamiliar mindvoice, more feminine then her Companion's.  
  
Josh sighed. :You always get me, don't you Sasha?:  
  
:Yup! Oh, you've Chosen? Goodie, what Gifts?:  
  
Josh mind-grinned evilly. :Why don't you see for yourself. Cal, can you put your shield down?:  
  
:Ack!: went Sasha as Cal let them down. :Show-off!:  
  
Cal looked at Sasha's Chosen. He had rich, gold-brown hair, Companion- bright blue eyes and an easy smile. His feature were distinct without being sharp, and he looked curiously at her.  
  
'I'm Tal'aren, Sasha's Chosen. Who are you?'  
  
'Calsa, Josh's Chosen. Sasha's brother's Chosen, actually.'  
  
'New Chosen, right?'  
  
'Only about five weeks.'  
  
'Where were you Chosen from,' Tal'aren asked in awe, 'The Empire?'  
  
'Actually, right on the Border of Karse and Hardon, only a week from the Empieric border. I'm from there, Herald-Mage Toralith trained me.  
  
'Uncle Tor taught you?'  
  
*Uncle?*  
  
***  
  
Hawk: Ok, R&R that's all for today. Even if it is a little short...  
  
Winddancer: Bye Storm. *hugs her.*  
  
Stormwing: Oh, I'll darken your doorway soon enough, don't you worry.  
  
Shadowwalker: *Mutters something unheard.*  
  
Stormwing: What? I think I missed that.  
  
Shadowwalker: Ah ... good luck on your trip.  
  
Stormwing: Zhai'hellva everyone. 


	8. Haven

Heyla everyone! *Big smile*  
  
Shadowwalker: *explains * She got more reviewers ... how vain. *gets flamed by Sunwing.* Or not.  
  
Winddancer: Darkfyre had a good point, most ghosts need a focus to appear in the material plain. Let's just say that Cal was Van's focus. *shrugs* Well, it works.  
  
***  
  
Tal'aren, or Aren, as he preferred to be known as, *was* Tor's nephew, Tor's brother's son. He had been Chosen in Haven when he had been invited to visit his uncle. He and Sasha had just been returning to Haven from a vacation at Aren's family's farm when they had come across Cal.  
  
The last two weeks were, needless to say, much more interesting with Sasha's dry sense of humor and Aren's friendliness.  
  
***  
  
:Cal. Hey Cal. Chosen, wake up!: Calsa was quite nicely asleep, and Josh's nagging wasn't about to wake her up. Aren sighed.  
  
'We're nearly there too. Let me try.' :HEY CALSA! WAKE UP!:  
  
She sat bolt upright and glared indignantly at Aren. 'I was asleep,' she muttered.  
  
:I never would have guessed,: came Sasha's dry mindvoice. :Here I was thinking that you were on your way to Haven, which, might I add, is less then a day away.: Aren decided that, for politeness' sake, he would only repeat the part about Haven.  
  
Calsa shot out of bed like she had found a snake in it, and had Josh saddled and ready to go before Aren could even register that anything could go from zero to ... however fast she had been moving, much less something that had been soundly asleep less then a minute ago.  
  
*Will Josh's Chosen ever stop surprising me? Or should I get used to this?* Aren contemplated this while he got on Sasha. :How far are we from Haven, anyways. Or will we arrive at two in the morning?: he asked Sasha.  
  
:A couple hours, you'll be there for lunch. And Weaponry.: He groaned inwardly. Even if Tor was his uncle, he'd never go easy on him. Sometimes Aren was certain that Tor was *harder* on him then the other Trainees.  
  
:I think that Tor just cares about you a little more and doesn't want you to get hurt or killed.:  
  
:Or to quote Weaponsmaster Alberich, what you have already seen, you can already guard against. But it *hurts.*: Sasha made a noise like a chuckle, and Aren returned to his contemplation of his traveling companion.  
  
She was so *quiet,* it made him wonder what she was thinking about. Or maybe she spent a lot of time in Mindspeech with Josh. Some Heralds were like that.  
  
And her Gifts, those were amazing. He had been considered impressive with five, she had six. But she didn't have Firestarting, and his Empathy was much stronger. As for Foresight, well, if it was going to happen, he'd rather not have to see it twice, and was grateful for a lack of the Gift.  
  
*It's almost like she doesn't know how impressive she is, or like she's scared to put herself forwards. Why you would be scared when you're stronger then most, I don't know, but then again, there's a lot of stuff that seems to make no sense that really does.* He shrugged it off, not being one to worry overly much about what he didn't understand.  
  
Josh's Chosen sat quietly and stared for a couple hours, barely registering any comment he made. After a while, she started muttering her annoyance, and finally, once she had finished all but her apple, asked, 'Did we *have* to get up this early?' Aren smiled slightly.  
  
'You were the one yesterday who was all, "We should go a bit further, I'm not tired. No, I won't be tired in the morning, I'll be fine."' Looks like it catches up after a while, oh wise one,' he teased the other.  
  
She gave him a long-suffering look, then, with a sudden mischievous grin that gave him no warning, chucked her apple at him, hitting him squarely on the forehead. Giggling, she urged Josh ahead into a canter.  
  
It took Aren a couple moments to recover, giving the two time to get out of sight. :Are you going to let him beat you, Sasha? That's a challenge if I ever saw one.: Sasha's pride would never let her lose a race to her brother.  
  
:Of course not,: she mock-snapped, breaking into a smooth canter. *Companions and their sense of pride - * he thought with some amusement, *where would I be without it?*  
  
Apparently he had projected that last, for he heard Calsa say, :Further behind?:  
  
:Hey, you were eavesdropping!:  
  
:No, you were project- oh gods that's *huge*!:  
  
Aren wondered just what it was that had caught Cal's attention. *No, not Cal, Calsa.* he reminded himself. *You don't know if she has a preferred name, or even if she'd let you call her by it.* :Hey, Sasha! Where are we?:  
  
:Just outside Haven. I *did* say that we were less then a day's ride away, and I wasn't counting on cantering.:  
  
:Well, that justified her reaction of 'oh gods that's huge.': Haven was rather large, and as Calsa had just topped a hill, the view would be amazing. It sprawled over the landscape, looking for all the world as if someone had just scooped it up and placed it in a wilderness.  
  
'This is Haven,' he announced to the stunned fifteen year-old. 'The Collegia are in the center, and the roads are all twisted, so it'll be a while afore you can get off of Josh's back.' One eyebrow was raised, obviously she had recovered enough to get the joke.  
  
***  
  
The city's roads twisted and turned, giving Aren time to remember what he was supposed to do with a newly-Chosen. *I think that she already knows what to do,* he decided once they reached the wall that separated the nobles from the merchants. *And if not, well, Josh should.* He wondered why he was suddenly worried about the girl.  
  
:Whoa. That is amazing.: He smiled. :The palace. And Collegia, all four of them. And the House of Healing, and a Guard-house.:  
  
:Well, if there's that much stuff in it, no wonder it's so huge.:  
  
The Palace-Guardswoman, recognizable by her dark-blue silver trimmed uniform looked up at him. 'Trainee Tal'aren and the Companion Sasha?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'And this would be...' she regarded the list that showed Companions out on a Choosing. 'Joshaylin and his Chosen, right?'  
  
'Yes.' That was Calsa, not as shy as he would have expected.  
  
'Go right on in.' Almost ritual, those words were.  
  
'You have to go to the Dean's office,' Aren was explaining to Calsa, she being to his right. 'They'll get you registered and -'  
  
'Hey Aren!' called a voice to his left.  
  
'Mph?' He turned to see who was calling him. Calsa was faster, having already seen the caller.  
  
'Tor!' she shouted, and flung herself at his uncle.  
  
Much to Aren's surprise, the Weaponsmaster returned the embrace. 'Cal,' he crowed happily, 'I knew you were going to show up. You're Journeyman now?'  
  
'Yup! Look at me, I went and got Chosen. Aren't you so happy?'  
  
'Of course I am. So who's your Companion?'  
  
'Joshaylin.'  
  
'Yes, Sasha's brother... oh, you met Aren, my nephew?'  
  
'More like crashed into. Sasha has a sense of humor...' Aren's Companion gave what sounded suspiciously like a snicker. Aren himself still hadn't gotten over the shock of *anyone* throwing themselves at his uncle. *Well, he *did* train her.*  
  
'You just go on and get unpacked, Aren. I'll take Cal to the Dean's office.' And the two walked away, talking about everything and anything.  
  
:They were good friends,: Sasha commented. :It's a shame that they ever had to part. You know, she was the one who had the dream that warned the spies to leave.:  
  
:Really?:  
  
:Really. And he called her a street rat the first time he saw her. Not to her, of course, but to Kaya.:  
  
:Gossip.: Aren remarked. :Is there *anything* that you know that you haven't told me yet? On second thought, maybe I don't want to know.:  
  
He went to the stables, unsaddled Sasha, gave her a good brushing, and then left her to her food. Waystations are supplied very well, but nowhere near as well as the Companions stables. :Is that good, kechara?:  
  
:I'll be fine.:  
  
:Ok, I'll go unpack then.:  
  
:You do that.:  
  
*Companions.*  
  
***  
  
'And guess what I used the necklet for.'  
  
'I don't know,' Tor admitted after a while. 'What?"  
  
'A spell anchor for the illusion,' Cal said proudly. 'So that I didn't have to panic every time someone looked at me funny.'  
  
They walked in silence for a moment, then Tor asked, 'You get along alright with Aren, don't you?'  
  
'Yes, why?'  
  
'Because having the two most powerful Trainees in a contest is not high priority for the Collegia now.'  
  
'Is it ever?'  
  
'No.'  
  
'Darn.'  
  
'Here's Ashayen's office,' he gestured. Cal pushed the door open, and was surprised at the neatness of the room. The Dean in Van's time ... *Was only one person,* she reminded herself, *And long gone besides.* The room was the same though.  
  
The Dean herself was brown haired, brown eyed, a feature combination that always made Cal feel stand-outish. She wore dusty, worn Whites, but carried herself with pride.  
  
'Trainee Calsa, Chosen of Joshaylin?" she inquired.  
  
'Yes ma'am.'  
  
Ashayen raised an eyebrow. 'Please, names are fine. So you'll need training for Mage-Gift, Mindspeech, Foresight... anything else, Tor?'  
  
'Fetching and minor Empathy too.'  
  
'Beats Aren's record, doesn't it?'  
  
'Oh, he's fine with it.'  
  
'I'll have one of the other students act as a mentor to you for a while. Trainee Meyra, I think her schedule is open. Tor, would you?'  
  
'Go get her? Certainly, she gets out of History soon, right?'  
  
'That is correct. Feel free to pull her out early, though.' They waited in silence till Tor arrived with the Trainee Meyra. The girl was dark-haired, though it was lighter than Cal's black. She had cheerful green eyes and sharp features, giving a hint of a bit of the blood of the Lady's people. Not one who's features would make Cal feel odd.  
  
The Dean dismissed them, and the second that they were around the corner, the older girl turned to her. 'Hello,' she said. 'I'm Meyra, but Ashayen's probably already told you that. I'm here for Mage-Gift and Mindspeech, and I'll going to be showing you around. So who are you.'  
  
'I'm Calsa, um, Journeyman level from Fire Mountain. I got Mage-Gift, Fetching, Mindspeech, Farsight, minor Empathy and minor Foresight. That's what Tor told me, anyways.'  
  
She didn't look surprised. 'Well, Tor's never wrong so looks like that's what you got. Poor thing, so many classes. Here, I'll show you to your room.'  
  
And that was the beginning of their friendship.  
  
***  
  
Shadowwalker: You guys know the drill. Review now, make Hawk happy. This was a longish chapter, appreciate it.  
  
Sunwing: Chirps agreement.  
  
Hawk: Zhai'hellva. 


	9. Orientation

Heyla everyone! Kudos to mysticmoods for finally explaining how to get formating. The only real difference, though, will be that thoughts are italics. Thanks for the reviews everyone. Even people who haven't reviewed. Because I know that they're coming. (hint hint)

Apologies for not updating in so long … please forgive me. Brownies for all of todays reviewers. So that you feel loved and review again. ^_^

And the fic continues...

***

At first glance, there were really only three things similar about the two girls who strode down the hall off of which the Trainee's rooms were. They both had dark hair and sharper features than normal, and both of them wore the gray robes of a Herald-Trainee. 

One's skin was gold-brown, and her green eyes seemed to laugh at a joke only she heard. She was the taller of the pair, but not by much. The shorter's skin was pale, her eyes silvery gray and solemn, and she fidgeted with the sleeve of her robe.

'Ok, Calsa, here's your room,' the older one said. 'Can I call you Cal? It's so much easier.'

Cal shrugged. 'Sure, I guess.' She threw her packs onto the bed, then started sorting the luggage into the shelves, closet and chest provided. 'They certainly give us enough room to put our junk,' she commented airily.

'Not for some of us,' Meyra said with a touch of amusement. 'I can never seem to keep all my stuff in one place for long.' She waited a moment, then beckoned. 'You have Orientation first, don't wan't to be late for that, do you?' Cal shook her head vigorously. _I don't want to set a bad example on the first day._

:Oh,: said an unfamilliar mindvoice. :If you have a question or something,but don't want to embarrass yourself by saying it out loud, just 'speak it to me. Or your Companion, of course.:

:Mindspeech _is_ a little more comfortable.: Cal admitted.

:Get used to it, it's the safest way to talk when you're out on circuit. And one of the best ways to talk after curfew.:

:Hedonist.:

:Well, _Daecia_ doesn't mind and if my Companion is ok with it –:

:Then both of you are hedonists. So where's Orientation?:

:Not till you say sorry.:

:Then I'll have to tell Weaponsmaster Tor that you're shirking your duties.:

:Cruel. But effective. I forgive you... this time.:

:I tremble in fear,: Cal snorted.

'Ok, Ashayen, she's back to you.' Meyra said to the Dean. 'I got a Weaponry class, so gotta run.' Cal could have sworn that she heard Ashayen mutter 'Understandable.'

There were about six other Trainees in Orientation, and the Dean soon got to introducing them. 'Trainee Calsa has arrived, so we are now meeting. We will only meet for a few weeks, by then, though, you should be so involved with your other classes that you will welcome the respite. This is more to get you settled down than any education.

'So give your names, everyone.'

A sandy-haired boy looked up from under his bangs. They covered his eyes, making it impossible to tell their colour. But he seemed to see fine, even with them hampering his vision. 'I'm Aldrid,' he said in a soft voice. The one next to him looked up. ''m Hy,' the pale blond said. A boy with dark red-brown hair was Rhael.

'I'm Cal,' she offered. The girl next to her, mousey haired and dark-eyed was named Filari. The last two, both with dusk skin and features, were brother and sister. 'I'm Aswen,' said the girl, in a low, sweet voice. 'And my brother's Kia.'

'And now, how many of you know what a Herald really is?' the Dean asked, and that led to other questions.

'You do know,' Ashayen said after everyone was done, 'that only half of the Heralds make it past middle-aged. And that you might be one of the unlucky ones.' Cal felt a shudder run down her spine. _Van had been what, thirty-six, thirty seven?_

***

'You know what?' Cal asked Meyra about a month later. The two were in Companion's field, with their Companions. Daecia was 'speaking with Josh, and Cal had been staring at the clouds.

'What?'

'It would be neat to be able to fly. I always wanted to, but its impossible. The Tayledras are probably the people who come closest to it, and they have to do it through their bondbirds. It would have to be a powerful mage who could grow wings for themself, like the Great Mages of the past, if not more.'

'Yes, it would,' Meyra commented vaguely. 'Cal, um, I got to go pack, I'm going on a trip with my family next week, and unless I pack now, I'm going to end up wearing something of my brother's.'

'But… I've only been here a month and a halfish.'

'Ya, but it's Midsummerbreak now.'

'Family trips,' Cal said with a sigh. 'I wish I could go. I don't even remember my family, or even a parental figure before Ililia. And then Tor.'

The other hesitated for a minute, then smiled. 'Sure, why don't you come. Mum and Dad won't mind. And Silverstar always likes new people. But Raen...'

She paused for a minute. 'Personally, I don't give a damn what Raen thinks. Let's go pack.'

***

'Thanks again for letting me come with you,' Cal said. They were a week out of Haven, and she had decided that if this was what circuit riding was like, she would ride circuit forever.

'It's ok, seriously. You don't have to keep thanking me. After all, you'll have to meet Raen, and after putting up with him for a week, you won't think so highly of me.'

'Riding is so great, though. It's like having wings or something.'

'Would you stop talking about wings!' Calsa stared at Meyra.

'Sorry…'

'No, no, I'm sorry.' Meyra was red now, and she obviously didn't want to talk about it any more.

'Are you afraid of hights or something?'

'Yes, yes, that's it,' she said hurriedly. Not that Cal noticed, one doesn't talk much about something you're terrified of. And a few seconds later, she couldn't think of anything.

Cal bent over double, or as much as it is possible to while in a saddle, clutching her stomach. Her face was white and drawn at the edges, her pupils dialted and her eyes wide. She gasped for breath, tryng to calm herself.

'What is it? Are you alright? Cal? Cal!'

***

Shadow: But that's a cliffhanger…

Winddancer: *rolling eyes* That's the point. *turns to everyone else* ok guys, the sooner you review, the sooner we update. The next chapter's already nearly done…


	10. Why

Heyla. I'm evil, aren't I? Putting in my first cliff-hanger… Anyways, so you guys can release your breath(s), here's the new chapter. There's some actual action in it … Maybe I should put more in, I got more reviews this time. JK^_^

Have a brownie to make up for the cliff-hanger.

***

Sheer panic swept over Cal, and a desperate mindvoice reached her 'ears.' :Herald! Send another Herald quick! I don't know how much longer I can hold them.: The feeling in her stomach worsened, and her lungs burned, drawing in quick, gasping breaths.

Meyra stared at her, not quite knowing what to do. :Cal?:

With that tiny mental contact, all of the emotion that had been projected to Cal flooded down the mindlink. _Shields,_ Meyra thought. _Got to get shields up around us._ That was the work of a moment, and well worth it.

Cal turned to her. 'We have to go to them.'

'Isn't there another Herald closer?' Meyra didn't want to seem petulant, but it was midsummer break, for Lady's sake.

A humourless grin touched Cal's lips. 'Yes, there is. Meyra, it's a _Herald_ in there, a Herald's life at risk. Besides us, there isn't anyone who could make it in time.'

'Fine, we go. But _you_ are the one who gets the privilege of explaining _why_ we were late to my parents.'

Cal grinned at that. Once Meyra had put up the shields, she had felt much better, but some of the emotions still lingered. :Josh?:

:Yes Chosen?:

:Can you move a little more to the right?:

:There isn't anyone else on the road…:

:No, it's not that. Just, I don't really want to puke in the middle of the road.: The Companion obliged.

***

'I think we might actually make it,' Cal commented a few galloping marks later.

'Make it? They're alive after this long?'

Cal wrinkled her nose at her friend. 'They were fleeing at the time. When they sensed how far we were, they made the call urgent. And it is.'

'You had better be right…'

'I'm always right.' Meyra snorted.

'Almost there,' Cal noted.

'How can you tell?'

'Listen.'

'Oh.'

They thundered into the glade, Cal glad for once that the paranoid Meyra had insisted on bringing full weaponry. _That for which you are least prepared is most likely to come to pass,_ she reflected wryly.

Battles are not pretty was the conclusion she soon reached. There were about three dead already, one with his head caved in, two with heart-stabs. 

The two new arrivals startled the others, distracting them momentarily. The sword was out of its sheath before she even thought about it. All that mattered was reaching the other Herald before … before … before it was too late. 

A strange sort of focus came over Cal. Move to the side, bend, duck, slash, engage. One man stopped her a few feet from her goal, a huge bear of a man over six feet tall wielding an … oh damn, an axe. _Does Fate have some sort of perverse sense of humour?_ Cal wondered. She still hadn't gotten over the last axe-wielding idiot she had met, she certainly wasn't ready for this.

:But you have me now,: Josh reminded her.

:True.: The short sword cut out for his knee without warning, somehow he managed to block it, nearly twisting it from her hand. Josh reared up, kicking out at him and hitting his chin. The man raised the axe up to cut Josh's neck, Cal retaliated by swinging the sword almost wildly, and it sliced off…

His arm. She had just cut a man's arm off. But she felt no guilt, he had tried to harm Josh. That would not be tolerated. The thought of it gave her the strength to decapitate him, she was _not_ about to give him the chance to get to a Healer.

The fighting seemed endless until suddenly she noticed that there were only six living beings in the glade. And the Herald who had 'spoken her was not one of them. There was Daecia, over by the entrance, Meyra was a short way away vomiting in a bush. And she knew about Josh and herself, which left … who?

Near the far end, in the shadows, something moved. Cal dismounted and staggered over, wondering what had managed to survive the carnage. It moved again, stood up, flash of white: the shadow walker was a Companion. She nuzzled something in front of her worriedly, trying to get it to move. _It isn't that Herald's Companion, they would either be gone and not moving or aware of what happened to their Chosen and not moving. _She moved closer.

It was a boy of around sixteen, his plain brown hair cut to ordinary length, nothing at all unusual about him. Except, of course, the fact that he was laying prone on the dirty forest floor. 

***

Meyra recovered from her temporary illness and joined Cal at the far side of the clearing. When she saw the boy, though, she frowned. Almost as if she was trying to remember someone. 'Is that you … Leran?'

'You know him?' Cal asked in relief. If he knew one of the people he woke up seeing, maybe he wouldn't panic.

Meyra nodded. 'He's the friend of the son of the man my dad sold our produce to. He was always really nice, but what in Haven's name is he doing so far from Shady Vale? It's not like he was a wanderer.'

'Who knows,' Cal agreed with a shrug. 'Men make no sense.' They both broke into the slightly hysterical laughter brought on by near death experiences.

'That's true,' Meyra admitted. Then Leran shifted onto his side, exposing the long thin cut on the other and the large bruise on his forehead. He sat up quickly, winced, and then stared at the two girls that were looking curiously at him. Two girls and a stallion.

The stallion attracted his gaze, he stared at it in wonder. Then he realized that the two girls were dressed in grays, they were Herald-Trainees, this Companion wasn't looking for him. Still, he couldn't help but admire the strong legs, the shimmering white coat, the sharp ears, the beautiful, intelligent blue eyes…

Leran fell into those eyes, endless drowning in sapphire blue. :Hello Leran. This might sound overused but hey, my name is Parach, and I Choose you.:

'Oh my god.' He didn't recognize the voice at first, it was too harsh, too quiet to be his.

The shorter girl smiled. 'It's amazing, isn't it? My Joshaylin showed up just in time for me too.' She stroked the coat of the blood-spattered Companion next to her. 'You don't know me, of course, but do you remember Meyra? She says that she's the daughter of your friend's father's supplier.'

'Yes. She used to chase Rom and me around the Square when we teased her. Save me.' The last was said teasingly, Meyra grinned. 

'Yup, that's Leran. So, oh-master-of-Gifts-'

'Mistress,' Cal interrupted.

'Whatever. Anyways, oh-_mistress_-of-Gifts, what's he got?'

'Uh, little bit of mindspeech, close range and Companion, you know, and oh!'

'What?'

'He's the reason I was feeling sick. We've got an Empath on our hands.'

'Goody.'

***

Shadow: There, no cliff-hangers. And Marithra? No running around in circles. You might fall of a cliff. *grins at pun*

Storm: And then we'd have to clean you up. And then we wouldn't get any reviews from you. *mock-pouts* Anyways, again for Marithra's benefit, we (we being the muses) are part of a novel Hawk's writing. We'll let you know if it ever actually gets published.

Have cherry pie and review.


	11. Silverstar

Heyla! Can't believe it's already past Christmas... don't blame me, even now I'm putting off a science project just for you. *glares reproachfully at anyone who dares complain*

So, here's why Meyra freaks whe Cal starts talking about wings. Oh, and Meyra's PoV.

***

'I'm an Empath?' The expression on Leran's face was rather amusing, and given that he wasn't really shielding, what Meyra (and probably Cal) was reading was that he thought Empath sounded, well, _girly_. She nearly laughed.

'Of course,' Cal managed, keeping a straight face. 'Like the Queen's Own Talia from a few generations back. In this area, of course, Talia was well heard of, being where her trader friend spent his winters. No male would call _her_ Gift girly. 'And of course, the last Herald-Mage, Vanyel Ashkevron.'

Leran looked slightly dazed, his Gift had gone from girly to the epitome of amazing. 'Demonsbane had Empathy?'

'I could recite what he had, but that would take a while. Or, in his own words, Mage-Gift, Mindspeech, Farsight, Fetching, Firestarting (minor), Healing (minor), Bardic gift (minor) and Foresight, every Gift but sanity. I remember that someone had recorded him saying that.' 

'And I called Cal here,' declared Meyra, sounding amused, 'Mistress-of-Gifts because she has all those Gifts except the non-Heraldic ones and Firestarting. And the addition of sanity.' Leran looked awed.

'But usually Heralds only have  one or two Gifts. Mindspeech to the level that they can 'speak their Companion – Talia didn't even have that – and maybe another one.'

Leran's Companion nudged him in the small of his back and snorted. 'Ah, Parach says it's time to leave for Haven now, and that we can talk later.'

'You do that,' Meyra agreed. 'The omnipresent Companions know what's best for us, after all.' All three Companions affixed her with a Look, but she just stuck her tongue out at them.

'Well,' Cal said as the boy left, 'time to go explain to your parents why we were late and why my Companion has red all over his coat.'

Meyra chuckled. 'Let's get moving, guys.'

***

:How much further? I'm so tired I can't even move my lips, so I'm 'speaking this.:

Meyra chuckled. :Only half a mark-ish. Maybe less, Companions are faster then ordinary horses.: Josh snorted as if he had heard that. Of course, it might have been that Daecia had relayed that back to him.

A drowsy half mark later, Calsa sat up suddenly. 'Whazat?' she asked, words slurring tiredly.

'Huh?' Meyra listened for a few minutes, then turned back. 'You got good ears, Cal. That's my brother, the horrible Raen.' She smiled wearily. 'Fighting is tiring, did you know that?'

'Yes. Actually, I think Tor's worse, just after Tor's done with us, back in the Collegium, that is, we get to go relax for a bit.'

'Never thought I'd agree with you on that one.' They were still silent, the only sounds they made the chimming of the silver hooves. For a while.

'Hi Meyra!' called an overly energetic voice. 'Why so tired? Someone keeping you up?' She was too tired to answer, but that didn't stop Calsa from afixing her brother with one of those stoney eyed looks normally only used by Weaponsmasters and reserved for their more waywards students more hopeless moments.

Raen's grin faded and he hesitated, and Meyra received a sense of satisfaction from Cal. 'You know him?' the other girl asked, tone piteous.

'My brother Raen, actually,' she stated unnecessarily.

'Ah,' was Cal's only comment. Raen's confidence quickly returned when she didn't say anything else, and he immediately started reciting everything all their family and mutual friends had gotten into. Cal rode alongside them in stony silence, silver eyes searching for any hint of an ambush.

'And Silverstar made Adept! Just yesterday!' Meyra smiled with pride in her older sister's accomplishments, but immediately sobered as she remembered the accident that had enabled them. The accident the day of her Choosing.

_:It wasn't your fault, beloved,: _came Daecia's Mindvoice, unusually solemn. _:It wasn't anyone's fault. Your sister know's that, and she doesn't blame you.:_

_:But I do,:_ Meyra responded. How could Daecia understand? It had been her idea to go look for those last few berries… 'I knew she'd do it,' she answered Raen. 'Adept at thirty? Now that I wasn't expecting.'

'I always was unexpected,' came a soft voice to her right. 'Even by our beloved parents.' Silverstar winked at the reference to her somewhat illegimate past, brushing the prematurely silver hair out of her face. 'So, who's your friend.'

'Well, I'm sure you know Raen,' Silver grinned, 'and the silent one to my right,' Cal inclined her head graciously,  'is Herald-Mage Trainee Calsa.'

'Stronger Mage-Gift than you, sister-mine. Now there's a surprise.' Cal smiled, apparently having taken a liking to Silver.

As they reached the farmhouse, she saw her parents again. Willowy Ayria's green eyes and stocky Morten's blue ones sparkled with pride at the sight of their daughter astride a Companion. Ayria dusted her hands on her apron and reached out to hug her. 'My daughter all grown up,' she sighed.

***

'Meyra,' Silverstar called, 'are you busy?' She wasn't, and was currently watching Calsa's hopelessness with fascination. The girl had never cooked when she was younger, and Ayria was determined to remedy that. So she was up to her elbows in flour and had a smudge of it under her nose, but obviously enjoying herself.

Still, upon hearing Meyra's name she looked up curiously, only resuming when she saw Meyra nod back. _When in Haven's name did she get so protective? Now there's a stupid question, after she sent us charging into that viper's nest._ She pulled herself up to see what it was that Silver wanted.

'A walk, perhaps?' She nodded, trying to guess what it was that her sister wanted. They walked in silence, through the field of corn, ears starting to swell. Meyra breathed in deeply, enjoying the earth smell of the farm. It had been too long since she was last home.

Once past the fields, they walked into the shady forest, the cooler air nice after the warm sun. she looked around and could see no changes since the last time she had been here. Then her gaze rested on one spot in particular.

'No,' she whispered, stepping back a few paces. 'No.'

_-- She was twelve again, and Silver was twenty-four. Ayria had been planning on making some jam, and they had already gotten most of the berries. 'Why don't we get the ones in the forest,' Meyra had asked. Silver had agreed to come too._

_It was shady then too, and they dallied in the forest to cool off. Once they reached the berries, they weren't paying much attention to anything, so the bear came as a surprise. It was a great lumbering thing, no danger at all, but they had jumped back all the same, jumped back into –_

_- a Changecircle._

_They were trapped there for who knows how long, molten fire pouring through them,  agony making time pass slower. Silverstar had already reached Master, so she tried to channel the worst of it away, but not without the magic burning her channels wider and bleaching her hair to a Tayledras white and her eyes to blue. _

_burned through Meyra, and since she had no channels, it awoke her Gifts, not changing her appearance. They were there till Daecia had come, come and pulled them out._

_And there was one other change, a change that the three of them, Meyra, Silver and Daecia, had kept secret from all others.- -_

'Meyra,' came Silverstar's voice, calling her back to reality. 'You'll have to face it someday.'

'No! I don't!' she shouted.

'Yes you do,' that calm voice replied. 'I already have.'

'But _why_? _Why?_'

'Because until you do,' Silver stated angerly, 'it will be a weakness that can be used against you. A weakness that should be a strength.'

'No,' Meyra wept, falling down on her knees, 'no.' A slight shimmer enveloped Silver, and she knelt down to put an arm – an arm and a silvery wing – around her sister, holding her as she wept.

She finally stopped, and looked up to her sister. 'Do they work? I mean, can they be used to fly with?'

She smiled slightly. 'You haven't even been curious enough to try that?' she responded in mock-surpirse. 'Well then you can find out for yourself. Up!' Meyra returned the smile shakily, then concentrated on letting down the barriers she had built so long ago. The shimmer encircled her, and when it dispersed, her black-brown wings touched her sister's silver ones. She spread them hesitantly, then beat them a few time expirementaly. They leaped up into the sky, past the trees, past the highest branches.

_Flying is fun…_

***

Shadowwalker: So? Like? No like? Want to implant my head upon a sharp stick and use it to warn others? (hopefully not that last).

Winddancer: Let us know by pressing that oh-so-pretty button at the bottom of the screen.

Sunwing: Chirp!


	12. Returning

Heyla everyone. I liked that last chapter, "flying _is_ fun." Sounds like something Calsa would say, not Meyra. So, now you all know why Meyra is "afraid of hights." She's not. I didn't know that either, it kinda just hit me when I was hiding behind a sofa in terror of a swarm of sixth graders singing_ Chitty chitty bang bang._

Happy new year and on with the fic!

***

Calsa had been a little suspicious when Silverstar had called Meyra over; she had been planning something, that much was plain to the Empath. But she trusted Silver's judgement, and the gut feeling that she would never purposely do anything to harm her sister. So she went back to the cake. _Cooking is amazing,_ she decided. It was a fairly easy cake, but she'd never done anything like it before.

'So now you pour the batter into the dish, slowly now, don't want to spill any, and we're going to put it in the over. Once that's done, I think you'd better go wash up.' Cal looked ruefully down at her Greys. With all the flour she had managed to get on them, she looked like she had just gotten her Whites.

'I think you're right, Mrs Farid.'

'Oh, just call me Ayria or mum, being called Mrs Farid makes me feel like I've been caught doing something in school.' They both grinned.

_I like these people,_ Cal decided as she brushed the worst of the flour off of her arms and Greys. According to Mrs – _Ayria_ – if she put that much flour into water, she'd get the worst glue she'd ever seen. _They're so nice. And they don't mind if you have no idea what's going on, they just explain it to you and don't think less of you for asking._

Once she had changed her Grey's – she had no other clothes to wear, besides her mage-robes, even if she was on vacation – and washed her arms and face, she went back out to help Ayria clean the kitchen. And by the time that disaster had been cleaned, the cake was ready. Even if it was a little lopsided, Cal was proud of it.

Silver and Meyra walked in then, both looking tired and Meyra looking a lot happier than she had ever seemed. _Well, looks like whatever Silverstar did was right. That woman's got good instincts._ She didn't ask, though. If it was only Silver who had gotten her to get over it, when even Daecia couldn't help her, then it was probably sensitive enough that her curiosity would undo Silver's work.

Instead, she pointed to the cake. 'Look what I made,' Cal beamed.

Meyra laughed. 'You really haven't cooked before, have you? I don't mean it in a bad way or anything. But your expression,' she trailed off into laughter.

Ayria appeared, brandishing the soup ladle menacingly. 'Well then, since you're the expert cook, we're doing chicken _haish _today. You can show Calsa how.' Then she vanished behind the counter, leaving Meyra to stare in disbelief.

'_Haish_? But, I don't know how to cook _haish_.' The muffled reply sounded something like "learn."

_:Well, now Meyra's tail is in the fire,:_ Cal sent to Josh, amused.

_:Maybe you should help.:_

_:It would be nice. Since she did invite me here.:_ She coughed slightly. 'Ayria? I think it would be better if you showed me how. After all, this will be the first time I've ever tried _haish_, and I'd rather try it from the hands of the master.'

Ayria reappeared and grinned. 'Oh, you're a flatterer, child. Very well, I'll show you how.' The remainder of the afternoon passed in a flurry of ingredients and tips. 

***

Calsa waved back to the Farid's, walking at a steady pace back to Haven. 'We should be there by supper tommorow.'

'Good. I'm going to teach them how to make chicken _haish._ Food for the gods, that is.'

'You, child, are completely messed. Next thing you know you're going to tell me that Weaponsmaster Toralith has a heart.'

'Well, I'm pretty sure he does, but not being a Healer…' The sunlight was making her feel giddy, and they joked through almost every subject imaginable.

'D'you know what's weird?' she asked after a while. 'The way that Heralds seem to lifebond so often compaired to the rest of the world.'

'Someone once said,' Meyra answered, 'that it was because so many compatable people wre brought together. But some Heralds have lifebonded to non-Heralds. Herald-Mage Vanyel did it both times, the first time he wasn't a Herald, and the second he lifebonded to Bard Stephen.'

A chill passed over Cal. 'I know what Vanyel did,' she stated flatly.

Sensing a sensitive area, though not knowing why, Meyra changed the subject. After all, Cal hadn't pushed her about the wing thing. 'What about you? Do you think you're lifebonded?'

Cal laughed again. 'I'd probably scare my lifebonded off with all my Gifts. If I have one. Lifebonded, that is.'

'True. The only person who has near as many Gifts as you is Aren, and –'

'You know Aren?' Cal interrupted.

'We're yearmates. Anyways, Aren's a little…'

'What?'

'I don't know really what it is. It's more like he's all friendly and everything, but anyone who tries to get close to him in a – uh –'

'Non-platonic manner?'

'Yeah, that's it. He just backs off like you threw something in his face. I saw it happen once.'

'To you?'

'Nah, one of the court flowers. A little funny, actually, considering she was just stringing men onto a lead like beads on a string. She probably thought he had caught on to her and was worried that he was going to blab her secret. That sort of stuff almost never occured to Aren, though, he was too innocent in those matters.'

'Hm.'

***

Aren stepped back from Sasha, the mage-light he had conjured to see in the dim light bobbing alongside him. _:There love, did I miss a spot?:_

She turned her head to snort softly into his hair. _:Boy, if you brush me anymore, I swear I'll glow in the dark.:_ He chuckled.

_:At least that would be more amusing than foal-watch. Gaisel is sure it's not coming for another week or so.:_

_:It's still better than winter foal-watch. I think my hooves would have gone numb if it hadn't of been for the stables.:_

Aren sighed. _:Well, while we're on the subject, do you need a hoof cleaning? We have all the time in the world.: _A half mark later found him on the grass and rueing his words. _:Were you playing in the mud or something? There must be five pounds of muck there!:_

Sasha blinked innocently. _:A being as pure and noble as a Companion? Playing in the mud? Never. Frolicking, perhaps, but never playing.:_

'You're about as pure as the mud I got out of your hooves,' Aren mock-grumbled. 'And aren't frolicking and playing the same thing?' He leaned back into a tree, relaxing the muscles that had stiffened while sitting.

'Arguing with your Companion? You should know by now that it's hopeless,' came an amused, warm voice. 'Though I do have to agree with you on the frolicking-playing buisiness. They're almost identical.' Calsa dropped onto the ground beside him, grinning.

He turned back to Sasha. 'See, even your brother's Chosen agrees with me. When did you get back,' he added to Calsa.

'Around a mark ago. I'm too keyed up to sleep, so I figured I'd go out and visit Josh.' Josh bobbed his head and rested it on his Chosen's shoulder for a moment.

The silence extended for a while, Calsa probably talking with Josh, Aren just stretching. 'Do you have Forsight?' she asked suddenly.

'Huh? No, why?' _Where did that come from?_

She sighed. 'I was just thinking about my Journeyman training, but every time I think about the Empire, I get a sick feeling in my stomach. So if you had Forsight, I was going to ask if the same thing happened to you.'

***

Much thanking to all reviewers… all three of you… -_-

**Corrupted-innocent**: after the Mage-winds series come the Storm series (Storm Warning, Storm Rising, Storm Breaking) and the Owl series (Owlflight, Owlsight, Owlknight) with Larry Dixon. Good reading. (I feel like Dear Abby now)


	13. First Circuit

_:I'm so nervous, I'm so nervous, did I forget something?:_ Five years later, Calsa was running around her room, trying to remember everything she had to pack.

_:Yes you did. And then you unpacked it all just to make sure. Then repacked it. Twice.:_ Joshaylin's mindvoice was dry enough to rival a desert.

_:Are you sure?:_

He mind-sighed. _:Look, if you don't believe me, your wonderful Companion, why don't you go ask Meyra or Tor. Or Aren. They've all finished their Circuits.:_

_:Good idea. _Meyra!_:_

_:Yes?:_

_:Come here and tell me if I've gotten everything.:_

Meyra appeared in her doorway a few moments later. 'Childling, from the looks of it, you've unpacked everything twice. But if you want, I'll double-check for you.' She sat down on the bed and proceeded to remove everything for the third time.

'Yes, that's it. The only thing you don't have that you should bring is an extra pair of boots.' Cal slapped her forhead and went to find the elusive boots. Pulling the boots out from under her bed, they repacked.

'I can't believe I got them,' Cal said happily. 'I finally got my Whites. You got them two years ago!'

'Yes, but I'd been here longer than you at seventeen. Ok, that's it,' she said, replacing the last pair of socks, you're ready.' Cal still couldn't believe it. Every time she passed a mirror, she stared in surprise, almost wondering why she was in Meyra's Whites. But no, they were her own.

'Now, let's go get some supper. You're leaving early tommorow.'

They arrived later than usual, and Cal enjoyed the rare event of not cramming herself onto the end of a bench. Herald's Collegium was nearly full, about half of them Trainees. And that made for a crowded meal time.

'A fry out!' Meyra bubbled. 'I love it when they do these. We did them at home sometimes, and then we'd eat so much we'd barely be able to think of breakfast the next day.'

Cal just nodded, filling her plate with the little pastry puffs and breaded vegetable sticks she loved so much. Added with the tangy horseradish dip, it nearly rivaled her love of _haish._ True to her word, she had trotted down to the kitchens the day after her return and proceeded to instruct Cook Geran on how to make _haish._ Most of the Collegia liked it to some extent, but few as much as Cal.

'So, Cal, you did it.' The statement was accompanied by Tor's arrival with a plate of fried breaded fish. 'Feel any different?'

'A little. More responsible, I suppose.' The Weaponsmaster chuckled.

'Well don't think I'm going to go easy on you now.'

'The thought never crossed my mind. In fact, I was wondering if I might have to order more bruise balm from the Healers.'

***

'Goodbye Cal,' Meyra said, giving her friend a quick hug. 'And remember, if you die out there, I will kill you myself.' Cal gave a weak smile in return, then mounted Josh.

_:Don't worry, beloved. Everyone does it sometime.:_

'Coming, Calsa?' Herald-Mage Nessa trotted over on her Companion. 'We have to leave within the mark.'

'Yes, I'm coming.' She waved back to Meyra as she left, the two white spots slowly fading.

'Don't worry,' came a familiar voice, one that she instantly responded to after years of teaching. 'She'll be alright,' Weaponsmaster Tor said softly. 'She always is.'

***

'Do you  remember where we're going,' Nessa asked her charge.

'Sorrow's, Sector Two. We're to meet Herald Weston on the way down to pick up the chirra's and some of the cold-weather gear.'

'Good memory. And the first village on our circuit?'

'Shireton.' _:Josh, are you _sure _we're going to be ok?:_

_:No one can be absolutly sure about anything. Fate has a tendancy to be like that.:_

That didn't help her nerves much. Josh finally got impatient. _:Think about it with your Forsight, not your nerves.:_ Once she did that, she realized that she was being stupid.

Nessa continued to drill her till they reached the inn, where they picked up two meat pies and continued on their way. Then the relentless questioning and teaching continued. The arrow-code came just after they stopped.

'You are familiar with the arrow-code?' Cal shook her head. 'For messages that for some reason, we ourselves cannot deliver, we use arrows. You know your pattern, correct?'

'Um, three breaks, two whole, two breaks, one whole. Then repeat.'

'There is also a colour code for the arrows. White banded arrows are just to show there's another Herald around. Green calls for a Healer, purple for a priest. Gray means you need another Herald, brown a message that will take further elaboration. Yellow means send part of the Army, how many you send affect how many unit Haven sends in return. Red is treason, blue is plague.'

'Do we need the last three that often?' Cal asked, hoping the opposite was true.

'No, but it's important to know them. Well, yellow gets used more than any of them, especially in the Evendam area. They have pirate season there like some places have cold season and a warm one.'

'The last one is black.' The Herald-Mage heisitated. 'Black can be done three different ways, and two of them don't even need to be black. A black arrow, whole but for your pattern means "All lost, rescue needed." Do your code and snap the arrow in half, and it changes to "All lost, do _not_ attempt rescue." Remove the head of a coded arrow, and it means the code's Herald is dead. I have never needed to use a black arrow, and I hope I – or you, for that matter – never do.'

Cal wondered what would have happened if Vanyel had sent Yfandes with an arrow earlier. Would he have lived longer? Would the Army have arrived in time to save him? She shook her head vigorously. _It won't make a difference now._

***

They met Weston the next day, and spent that night in the Waystation. The compact little houses would barely hold the two Heralds, their Companions, and the chirra's, but it was only for one night. The next day, they made it to Shireton.

Shireton was the area's equivilant of a bustling town, but to Calsa, who had spent her life first in the Empire's capital, and then in Haven, it was tiny. As she realized this, she wondered how the smaller villages would seem.

'We're making fair time, I'd say. No records, but we aren't Special Messanger riders, so we don't have to worry about time.' Nessa seemed confident in her reading.

Shireton was a fast stop. There were no problems, no hidden angers or feuds, and all the Heralds had to do was collect the tax records. Then they continued.

Aloten was a different story. An almost-mob met them at the village gates, all of them angry and all of them wanting the Heralds to agree with their side of the truth. 

The Mayor's daughter, Celica, had apparently been leading on several of the young men. All of them had believed that it was her intention to marry them, and when she had chosen a completely different man, one Trelon, who had moved to Aloten three years past, they had become enraged. Trelon was accused of "stealing" Celica from the various other young men, Celica of leading them on.

Cal reached out with her Empathy. _:Oh, there are many ruffled feathers in this one,: _she sent to Nessa. _:The men's, because their 'beloved' 'abandoned' them, the womenfolk, because Celica tricked their men, and Celica and Trelon, for being accused.:_

Nessa's hard voice rang out, silencing the voices. _:Little trick I learned from a mercenary,:_ she sent with a bit of a chuckle. 'One at a time, please. May I hear from the men that were, supposedly, led on.' Five young men, none of them over twenty and three, stepped forwards.

'You,' Nessa said, pointing to the one on the left. 'Why do you say that Celica led you on?'

'The way she acted,' he said bluntly. 'She was always hanging around, coming over to chat, joking and teasing.' The others nodded. Cal spoke up, but not invoking the Truth Spell.

'And did she ever promise this to anyone of you?'

'No,' the first one said, the others shaking their heads. 'She never _promised, _but the way she acted _implied _it.' The angry murmer started to rebuild.

'Would Cilica please step forwards,' Nessa requested calmly. The girl did so. She wasn't a beauty, but her sweet brown eyes and confident air lent her a sort prettiness.

'I never meant to make anyone believe that,' she stated honestly. Cal placed the Truth Spell on her, knowing that the sight of it would calm the townsfolk. But she was fairly sure that the girl didnèt need it. 'I was just a little lonely, what with my sister having left to get married, and most of my friends busy with their own weddings. And they didn't mind whe I'd come and talk to them, so I assumed that we were … friends.' The blue never faltered, not even a flicker. 'I never thought that they believed I was … courting them or something.'

'So, what about this Trelon,' Calsa asked. 'Did you promise him anything.'

The girl turned red. 'Not at first, no. He was so sympathetic, and he'd let me rant on about anything, like not getting a new dress that I wanted, or why Wendy got everything.'

Cal sighed mentally. Obviously, this mix-up was more than just the surface. There was a slight tinge of jealousy in the girl, but embarassment at being jealous. Celica was angry at her townspeople for disbelieving her, and angry at herself for not knowing.

'But you did promise him something?'

'He asked me to marry him last week. I going to announce it the week before the priest was expected to arrive. Then Brendon proposed, and I had to let him know why, because I didn't think it would be fair to just say no.'

Nessa turned to the townspeople. 'So, the girl is _not_ an oathbreaker, in fact, you would make her one by forcing her to renounce her acceptance. You're menfolk chose to see things one way, when really they were another.' They grumbled, but accepted it. And Calsa could have sworn she saw a few of the girls smile, as if thinking, _Now that they aren't obsessed with Celica…_

_:Why do these things happen? And why do people get so worked up about them?: _Josh had no answer. There was none.

They put the Companions in the enclosure, curried them and left the tack to be cleaned by the stablehands, as they had said to. 

***

Okay, reviewer thankage:

**Ivy Raine: **No, Elspeth and Darkwind have no (yet) mentioned kids. So, put them in if you want, or leave them out if you don't. (I'm back to Dear Hawk mode, it seems)

**Caoilte: **Believe me, even I don't know more than vaguely where this is going. Or how long it will be. Looks like you'll have to tolerate me for a hwile.And though I can't blame you, I can still want reviews sooner. (Waves Ayria's soup ladle at you). Have a brownie. 

**Corrupted-innocent: **Ja ne means thank you, no? And where did you get the Vanyel plushie. (Stares hungerly) I want one…

So, all ye reviewers, have _haish_! Or tortiere, depending on your preference.


	14. Fire!

The silver hooves beat out a steady tattoo on the packed dirt road, sun beating down on them and making their Heralds sleepy. It was fast becoming one  of Sorrow's driest summer in over five hundred years, and the crops were reacting accordingly. Fortunately, none of the wells were becoming unfit to drink, and the Healer's – and Heralds – were adament in that everyone got at least three cups of water every day.

The village – Deepriver – was unusual in that it was set right on the river that cut off a small portion of Sorrow's. As a result, the villagers both fished and farmed. Some even did both. It was about the size of Shireton, maybe a little smaller, and the people bustled curiously around the Heralds.

Cal sighed quietly. Based on the stories that Meyra and Aren had told, first circuits – or any circuit, for that matter – were exciting. The most excitement she had seen, however, was the occasional argument about 

_:The Tayledras have been known to curse people with "May your life be interesting.:_

_:Some days I wouldn't mind a curse like that. I take that back. The last few times my life has been "interesting" it involved ridiculously large axes that no one should be able to move.: _

What Aren had said didn't help either. _'How do you normally get Forsight? Gut feeling like you told me about, or visions? Visions? Then I wouldn't worry about it until it gets to the vision stage.'_

She looked up, frowning. 'Nessa, what's that smell. It's kind of… smokey. Like the time there was a bonfire.'

Nessa looked at her. 'There aren't any festivals celebrated around here, not at this time of year. But you're right, I can smell it too.'

Hoofsteps hammered down the road as a bay horse stretched out down towards them. ''Eralds," the man riding it gasped. "We don' 'no 'ow it 'appened, but there's fire in t' south Sorrows.' She snapped out of her sleepy daze, remembering.

_'We were guardians there for seven hundred years…'_

They cantered to Deepriver at that amazing pace that only Companions can hold for any reasonable length of time. Southern Sorrows, as the man had called it, was the small area that was cut off by the Graevan river. Realatively small, at least, it was still more than twice as large as the Palace complex. And it was on fire.

The blaze roared red and gold, changing the black smoke that rose from the inferno into a reddish smoke, like blood spilled into water. Calsa stared in awe as mankind's primal fascination with fire started to come out. 'It's huge,' she managed to no one in particular.

Nessa was busy grouping people to make a firebreak, an extremely dangerous but highly effective way of blocking the fire's path. Ten youths, still agile enough to get out of the fire's trail if the wind shifted, ran out to start another to block it's course. They looked pathetically small next to the firey vortex, and Cal could only hope they'd be alright, or at least come out with minimal burns.

_If only we had a Firestarter, a Firestarter that could control fires, not just start them. Hellfires, even the firestarting-only Firestarter would be nice, then we wouldn't have to risk villagers to the fire._

'Will it work?' she asked Nessa, worried. The older Herald-Mage raised her hands palms upwards.

'I'm not sure, but I'm not leaving it to chance, either. There might be some rain around here that I can bring before it's too late. First, though, I'd rather see how this works out.' Cal nodded. Rain around here was scarce enough that it would be cruel to take a storm to stop a fire that had already been defeated. It might even take lives, and that was part of what being a Herald was, to prevent the loss of lives.

'Heralds,' a tired-looking woman said quietly. Cal turned sharply to look at her, the nagging feeling in her stomach starting. 'If you could – my daughters, Gaila and Cassidy, they went out a few candlemarks ago. I looked everywhere else, with no sign of them, and I think they've gone into the forest. They do that quite frequently.'

Hearing that was like being told that her heart's desire was in that forest. Suddenly, Calsa _had_ to go into that forest, _had _go find the children. She turned back to Nessa, hoping she didn't need any assistance.

'Don't worry, things are as under control as they'll get,' the brown-haired Herald said quietly. 'You can feel the pull, can't you.' It was a statement, not a question, and Cal didn't say anything in response. She wouldn't have been a Herald if she hadn't.

Instead Joshaylin shot off like a bolt from a crossbow, causing his white mane and her black hair to fly back. They ran along the riverside, now glowing red from the reflected flames, looking for a spot the flames had already passed through. Finding it, Josh turned sharply, neatly pivoting and running into the forest's corpse.

The intense heat hit them, making the dry air outside seem cool by comparison. Branches and trunks – or what remained of them – were macabre statues of embers, flaring up brightly as a breeze stired them, then cooling just as suddenly. Cal stared ahead, looking for any sign of the girls, or any other life, for that matter.

_:I'm going to Look for them. Let me know if you see anything before I Find them,: _she sent Josh before slipping into trance. Using her Mage-Gift, she searched the forest methodically, starting from herself and then circling out. Most of the life-forces she did sense, though, were to small to be of any interest. A few birds, a groundhog that had buried itself far beneath the topsoil sand-dry topsoil… then suddenly, two faint sparkles.

_:Josh, east!:_ She did not need to elaborate. The Companion ran on, Calsa leaning close to his neck. A branch fell inches away from her leg, she ignored it but dropped her trance, this time using her more mudane senses.

They sprinted into a small openning, somehow clear from flames. She looked down to see that there was no grass here, no grass or twigs or anything that would burn. But it was only six feet wide, and extremely difficult not to trip over the hunched up body.

Calsa recoiled in horrified shock. The person could not have been more than eleven years of age, and here she was, dead. _I was too late, I couldn't help them. She's dead, and who knows where her sister is._

She dismounted quickly, then reached out to touch the girl's shoulder. There were slight burns on it, but nothing life-threatening. however, there was a larger, dark red burn on her right side. There was no response from the girl, either vocal or physical.

Calsa gently uncurled the girl, meaning to check her pulse. What she saw, though, made her heart clench. The young girl hadn't been hunched up in an effort to lose pain, or to breath air that was not filled with smoke. She had been trying to protect her younger sister, a small girl that was resting under her older sister's body.

'Child,' Cal called softly. 'Child, are you alright? Do you have burns?'

The small girl shook her head. 'Is it safe to leave now? Gaila said to stay here until someone said it was ok to leave.' She winced bitterly.

'Yes, it's safe to go now, but I don't know if your sister will be … able to leave.' She reached to touch Gaila's neck, holding her first two fingers just under the jawbone, feeling for a pulse. 'Cassidy, I don't think … I don't think that your sister is alive anymore.'

Cassidy merely looked up at her and said, with childish certanity, 'She's alive. I know she is.'

_:If it makes her feel better,: _Joshaylin advised, _:let her continue to believe that her sister will return.:_ Cal nodded tiredly, the effects of the past candlemark finally setting in. She watched the young girl with some faint amusement as she carefully laid her sister out, pillowing her head and laying out her arms.

The Cassidy rolled up her sleeves and carefully touched the smallest burn, making faint green sparks flow between it and her fingers. Apparently encouraged by this success, she touched the largest one.

_:Green sparks …_green sparks! _Josh, look, green sparks! She's a Healer, or at least, she has Healing Gift! That's why she said her sister wasn't dead! She could sense it!:_ Then, a little more subdued, she sent a message to Nessa.

_:I found the girls. Gaila's a step from Death, but Cassidy is Gifted with Healing, and she's keeping her sister alive. Another Healer and a little help over here would be appreciated.:_

_:Sure thing,:_ Nessa answered.

_I am never wishing for excitement again._

***

'I think that after than, Calsa, you can deal with pretty much anything,' Nessa said as they left Three Rivers. 'You'll make a good Herald-Mage.'

'Well, I did have an excellent mentor.' Nessa just smiled and shook her head.

_I think Nessa's right. I think that I can deal with a lot. And that's probably why we have Internship, so that we can get a feel for things, and be a little confident about it._

***

Strange as it seems, this is where Starsinger ends. Though not Cal's adventures. Think of it like where Arrow's Flight ends. There _will_ be a sequel called Starsong, but I just don't have a lot of time to work on it anymore, just odd weekends and snippets of my afternoons. So you'll still see me around, just not with this fic.

Thank you, to all my reviewers who have ever reviewed. You guys really make my day when I see Review Alert! in my mail slot. I'm glad that you enjoyed it through all my skipping around and Van-Dreams, which will be important in Starsong. But I didn't say that…*looks suspicious*

Now, more formal thanks to last chapter's reviewers.

**Caolite:** Glad you still feel that way. Want a buttertart? My sister ate all the brownies, so those are all we got left. And thanks for explaining ja ne, so, ja ne. ^_^

**Ivy Raine: **Don't we all? Want a Van plushie, I mean?

**Catkyn: **The things my muses come up with, eh? Sorry if I jump around a little.

**Corrupted-innocent: **_WHERE DID YOU GET THE VAN PLUSHIE?_


End file.
